


You've got to eat something

by nancy01



Series: Prompt list [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Louis Tomlinson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Character Death, Depressed Harry Styles, Grief/Mourning, I'm Sorry, Louis Tomlinson Calls Harry Styles Pet Names, Louis Tomlinson Loves Harry Styles, M/M, Omega Harry, Protective Louis Tomlinson, Sad Harry Styles, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nancy01/pseuds/nancy01
Summary: "So," Zayn starts, breaking the silence, "You and Lou. What's up with that?"Harry chokes on his water, wiping away the spillage on his chin and shakily setting down the glass. "Sorry?""You and Louis. The Alpha you're currently sharing a bed with. What is up with that?" Zayn repeats smugly.The younger boy panics a little, trying to keep calm and play dumb. "I mean, I can sleep on the couch if it would make you feel better?"
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: Prompt list [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103849
Comments: 17
Kudos: 150





	You've got to eat something

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one shot that ended up being extremely long, over 22k words, sorry about that, from the promp list numbers 12 and 16. Sorry that's it's so long, and sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Trigger warnings: death and grieving. (Louis and Harry don't die just to clarify). But the book is based on having a loved one who might die, and therefore if that triggers you or you're experiencing grief yourself right now please dont read this. 
> 
> Helplines are available are: 
> 
> supportline.org.uk
> 
> Or my wattpad is ltandhs28 if you ever want to DM me to talk about something. 
> 
> Oh and this is an abo fic, I've written a couple before, if you don't feel comfortable with that please don't read, if you don't know what that is I did explain it in depth in a comment one of my other abo fics  
> And I haven't edited this so do excuse all of the horrific mistakes X
> 
> Although this book is about death and grief, the end of the book is happy, and I think it's important sometimes to talk about death as I feel like I'm the western world we view it as a taboo subject, but especially in the current climate (if you're reading this I'm the future there was a massive pandemic and right now where I live I London we are absolutely fucked, it's really scary) we should talk more openly about it. Feel free as I said to DM me or start up a conversation in the comments for other people to interact with as well.
> 
> I hope you enjoy???

_From Gemma: 3:12pm_

_Lou's picking you up, don't give him any shit, I'll see you tomorrow._

Harry sighs, placing his phone back in his pocket. Louis was Gemma's best friend, he was an Alpha and he hated Harry.

Harry also had a huge crush on him.

Harry was in his last last year of high school, whilst Louis and Gemma had just finished Uni, Gemma just starting a new job and Louis taking a year out for doing nothing.

The Omega quietly packed his bag up, sliding his arms through the straps before standing up to head out. He'd left enough time that he was hopefull most people had already left the car park by now. Harry wasn't exactly the most popular person here and his ribs were stilll bruised from yesterday.

He makes his way outside, wide eyes darting around the carpark to look for Louis' car, letting out a small yelp when he feels someone tug his bag from behind.

"Watch where you're fucking going, slut," an Alpha mocks, pulling Harry round to face him, "you've been hiding from us?"

"No," Harry whispers, pulling on the straps of his bag as he trains his eyes on the floor, "I was just going home."

The three Alpha's laugh, the first guy, Matty, bending down a little and leaning closer to invade Harry's space as he laugh subsides. "We've spoken about lying, haven't we? What have I told you?"

Harry blinks away tears. This happens all the time, he needs to stop getting upset every time it happens. "Never to lie to you," he whispers, wincing when Matty slaps his face harshly.

"Then the fuck do you keep doing it for, hm?" the guy on the left, the tallest one of them, Nick, asks darkly.

Once upon a time, Nick and Harry had been friends. It hurt Harry the most when Nick was mean to him, because he felt like Nick had really cared about him once.

"Bitch still smells like he's in heat. Fucking slag," the third guy mutters, making Harry blush deeply. He'd just gone back to school yesterday after his heat had finished, and he thought he'd been careful enough to cover up any lingering smell.

Apparently not.

"Don't get shy on us now, shit head. Everyone at this school knows that's all you're good for, being a nice hole for a big Alpha one day," Matty teases, gripping and pulling Harry's hair painfully tightly.

Harry tries to look round and see if anyone else was here, but it probably wouldn't make a difference. Harry was the only male Omega in his year, and he definitely didn't get any of the support he needed for that.

"My friend is waiting for me in the car. He'll be mad if you hurt me, please just let me go," the Omega whispers again, instantly regretting it when he feels another blow to his stomach.

"Will he? What did you just tell me about lying, Styles? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, turns out you really are just a dumb bitch," Matty says lowly, punching Harry in the face, busting his lip and bruising underneath his nose. "There, now why don't you run along to this 'friend' of yours."

Harry turns around and quickly runs towards Louis' black range rover (okay so maybe Louis' family was also a lot richer than Harry's), brushing away tears as he does and holding the sleeve of his hoodie to his lip, wincing in pain when he does.

With shaky hands he opens the passenger side of Louis' door, quietly getting in and throwing his bag into the floorwell.

"Fucking finally, how long does it take you to get out of class?" Louis sighs in irritation, grabbing Harry's bag and swinging it to the back seat before putting his keys into the ignition. "Gem's away tonight so you're stuck with me- what the hell happened to your face?" the Alpha suddenly says, gripping Harry's head from across the console to turn it further towards him, giving himself a better view of the damage done to Harry's face. "Harry-"

"It's nothing. Can we go now?" Harry says slightly aggressively, turning away from Louis to rest against the window, and then slightly more softly, "Please?"

Louis sighs again, turning the ignition off. "No. Now tell me what happened."

Harry sighs, a few more tears falling down his face. "I just annoyed the wrong people, okay? It-"

"Was it those boys over there?" Louis interrupts, pointing at the windscreen where Harry could see the three Alpha's messing around.

Harry shrinks back in his seat unconsciously. "Maybe..."

"Fucks sake. Okay, stay here," Louis orders, unbuckling his seatbelt and jumping out of the car, ignoring Harry's shouts of protest.

"Oi! Wankers! The fuck do you think you are?" Louis shouts, striding over to the three school boys, who instantly pale at the sight of an angry 21 year old Alpha.

"U-Um-"

"I don't wanna hear it. You mess with that boy again and I will make you regret it for the rest of your life. Do I make myself clear?" Louis spits out, anger running throughout him.

"Y-yes-"

"You make me sick. You're Alpha's, you're supposed to protect Omega's, care for them, provide for them, support them, look out for them. Not make them fear you. Never go near Harry ever again, I mean it," Louis orders, watching the three boys nod and run off before storming back over to the car, getting in and driving off without a word.

Harry sits there for ten minutes before the silence is broken.

"How long has that been going on for?"

"Like you give a shit," Harry mumbles.

"I'm sorry? Why are you giving me attitude now? I just saved your ass!" Louis defends, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Well I didn't fucking ask you to, did I? And you didn't save my ass, cause when I go into school tomorrow they're going to be way more angry at me now then they were before. So yeah, my apologies if I didn't thank you on my knees," Harry bites out, slumping down and crossing his arms across his chest.

So maybe him and Louis didn't see eye to eye. But that wasn't Harry's fault! Since him and Gemma had been friends, Louis had hated Harry.

Whenever Harry wanted to join in on the games Louis and Gemma were playing, Louis had told him he was too young and stupid, that Harry wouldn't understand.

When Harry first started going to school, he'd run up to Louis in the playground, happy to see a familiar face amongst a see of strange ones, and all Louis had done was roll his eyes and push him away.

When Harry had presented, Louis had stopped acknowledging Harry's existence entirely. And that suited Harry pretty fucking fine, until his parents had divorced and his mum had gotten sick, Gemma having to always stay with Harry at home when she was in hospital.

Which ended up being Gemma half the time and Louis half the time, since Gemma had a boyfriend now and didn't want to babysit her little brother the whole time.

Harry felt really special.

"You can be such an ungrateful little shit sometimes, you know?" Louis swears, turning round the corner sharply.

"Stop the fucking car then," Harry bites out, unbuckling his belt and grabbing his bag, already unlocking the car door before it even stops.

"Jesus Christ, shut the fucking door Harry!" Louis shouts as he pulls over and slams the breaks down, letting out a heavy sigh. "Are you trying to fucking kill yourself?"

"Wouldn't you be so fucking lucky," Harry mutters, jumping out of the car and pulling his thin jacket tightly around his frame, heading off in the direction of home as rain starts pelting down violently on him.

Louis swears again and jumps out the car, locking it and jogging over to catch up with Harry. "Okay, fine, I'm sorry. Would you just get back in the bloody car, please? It's november, it's freezing. You'll catch a cold."

"Stop acting like you care!"

"Has it ever crossed your mind for two seconds that maybe I do actually care?! Would I drive an hour to your school to drive you another forty minutes home if I didn't care?! Would I give up my evenings and nights to stay over so you're not alone? Would I have told those guys to leave you alone if I didn't care. God, you can be so ungrateful sometimes!" Louis shouts, face red in anger.

"I never asked for any of this, okay?! I didn't ask you to do all that shit! You think I want this? To live my life under the care of my sister and her best friend who happens to hate me?! To not know if my mum will make it out of this illness alive? To be bullied in school? If you think its a burden knowing me than I thank the lord you're not me because it doesn't even fucking compare!" Harry screams, tears flowing down his cheeks now.

He never fights back. Never. Because if he fights back he makes it worse. But for now, just this once, it's like Harry's only life line is to scream in Louis' face.

"Harry-"

"What? I don't want to hear some bullshit explanation of why I should be more grateful or why my life isn't actually as bad as I'm making it out to be, okay? I'm just going to walk home," Harry spits out, turning around to head back in the direction of home.

"Fucks sake," Louis mutters, jogging to catch up with Harry as he stands in front of him, holding his shoulders. "Look, you can't just walk home, Harry, it's freezing and it's raining and it's not safe. So either get back in the car and we can talk when we get home or I'm gonna have to walk behind you the whole way home to make sure you get there safely and then explain to your mum why you have a cold. Which is it going to be?"

Harry folds his arms in front of his chest as he scowls. "Fine, I'll get in the car, but I'm not talking to you when we get home."

Louis holds in a remark as he ushers Harry back to the car, turning round to make sure there wasn't anyone creepy spying on them.

As Louis starts driving again he hears some sniffles, looking over to see Harry trying to hide the fact he was crying.

He might be an asshole but he wasn't going to mention anything.

As soon as Louis puts the car in park Harry's jumping out the car and running up to the door, leaving Louis to retrieve his bag and follow up.

The Alpha finds the younger boy lying face down on his bed, probably unaware he was no longer alone.

"Hey," Louis announces, making Harry flinch violently and jump up in shock.

"Holy shit, you can't just scare me like that," the Omega says quietly, the fire in his body he felt before seemingly gone.

"Sorry," Louis says, taking a seat on the end of Harry bed. "Look, what you said before. We need to talk about it, okay?"

Harry sniffles again, pulling his knees up in front of him as he rests against the wall. "I don't wanna talk about any of it."

"You didn't tell me you were being bullied, Haz. How long has that been going on for?"

Harry shrugs, looking down at his hands. "It's not like it ever started, it's kind of always been there."

"What?!"

"I-I mean, like, when I was in year seven people still used to make comments or talk about me or, like, sometimes corner me in the corridors and whatever. It just got worse over time, I guess," Harry says quietly.

"Why haven't you told someone about it?" Louis asks, voice softer than normal.

Harry shrugs again. "Everyone has bigger problems, so, I just didn't bring it up."

"Have you told someone at school? A teacher?" Louis asks again, looking at Harry with a look of shock when the boy laughs.

"Yeah, cause that would have made it so better. Do you not remember what school was like? It's enough being the person everyone bullies but being the kid who snitched as well? I might as well start planning my own funeral," he says bitterly.

"Look, I'll come with you tomorrow, I'll walk you in and go and talk to the office. I'll make sure they don't mention your name," Louis offers, Harry's head snapping over in fear.

"No. I'm serious, please don't. I can handle it," Harry protests.

Louis sighs, resisting the urge to try and comfort the omega. "Okay, we'll come back to that one. Why don't we go and get some food? There anything in your fridge?"

Harry shakes his head. "There's some pizzas in the freezer but I need to go grocery shopping and Gemma has the money for it so I haven't had a chance to go."

"Gemma has the money for your food shop?" Louis asks slowly. "I thought Gemma was with you this past week anyways?"

"She was supposed to be but she's always with her boyfriend, and she didn't wanna keep asking you to come over, so she just asks you to come over like a couple times a week and the rest of the time it's just me. I didn't want to bother her with the money thing, but mum always sends it to her," Harry says quietly, face going red in embarrassment.

He hates giving away how poor his family is to people, especially because it's not his mum's fault and he never want to accidentally blame his mum for that.

"Jesus, Harry. You need to tell your mum if Gemma isn't looking after you properly. Her boyfriend can come here if that's better but you shouldn't be here by yourself," Louis says, a tinge of anger laced through his words, not at Harry but rather Gemma.

And now Louis really does feel like an asshole, because he's the only person Harry really gets to talk to and see regularly considering he clearly has no friends at school, his mum's ill and his sister's never around, and all he does it argue with Harry.

Because he's this beautiful Omega with way too green eyes and perfect hair, and Louis was trying to get rid of those stupid feelings.

Everyone knows you never get involved with your best friends little siblings. Especially when that little sibling is still in school.

"It's fine, don't worry about me," Harry says shortly.

"Look, I know I've not exactly been the best to you, but it's gonna change, okay? I'll be here all the time if Gemma doesn't sort herself out, and I'll make sure you've got enough food, and I'll sort these shitty kids at school out. And all you have to do is talk to me, tell me what you want, tell me if something's bothering you, tell me if you're worried about your mum. I'm here for you, understand?" Louis says sincerely, smiling softly when Harry's eyes meet his.

"Okay," he says in a small voice. "I'm sorry, I'll, um, I'll talk to Gem. I shouldn't be your responsibility."

"Hey, don't say it like it's a burden. It's all good, we'll figure something out. C'mon, let's go get those pizzas in the oven."

Harry smiles softly and pulls his blanket around his shoulders, following Louis downstairs.

They pair stay in silence as Harry sits at the bar stools whilst Louis gets the pizza in the oven.

For the first time since his mum was admitted to hospital Harry doesn't feel lonely.

And it feels amazing.

-

"Haz?"

"Hi, um, can you please come and get me? I'm at the, uhm, I at the hospital," Harry says quietly into the phone.

It's been a month since the day of the argument and during that time Louis had spent every night at Harry's house and they'd become pretty much inseperable.

And they'd finally stopped arguing every two seconds.

"Yeah I can come and get you, babes. Is Gemma not there?" Louis asks and yeah, that's another thing, Louis has started calling him babes and it's driving Harry crazy.

"Um, she is but, um, she's gone home with-"

"She left you again?!"

"No! Um, she said she could take me home too, but, um, I just wanted to be by myself for a bit and, uh, I wanted to see you," Harry says quietly, sitting on the steps outside the hospital and playing with his shoe laces.

"Okay, I'm just leaving now, I'll be there in ten minutes. Where are you?" Louis says, the sounds of keys jingling in the background.

"Um, I'm outside the main entrance. I can meet you in the car park."

"No, it's okay. I'll find you, yeah? Stay where you are, I'll text you when I'm there. See you soon," Louis says softly, Harry nodding despite not being there.

"Yeah, okay, see you soon," Harry replies before hanging up and folding his arms over his knees, resting his chin on them.

He could feel people giving him weird looks but he couldn't find it in himself to care. 

After a short while he sees two feet coming up in front of him as he raises his head to see Louis' concerned face.

Without thinking about it too much Harry jumps up and all but throws himself around the Alpha, allowing Louis to steady him and wrap his strong arms around him.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here. You're okay, Haz," Louis whispers, holding the back of Harry's head protectively as the Omega buries it into Louis' neck, sniffing in the strong smell.

The two didn't say anything, just felt comfort in the safety of each other. Louis could only guess that one of two things had happened.

Harry's mum had died.

Or Harry's mum was going to die.

And if Louis had to place his bets it would be on the second, because Harry wasn't crying yet, and because Gemma wasn't here.

Every week Harry visited his mum, and they both knew she wasn't getting better, but Louis didn't usually have to pick him up.

After a while Harry steps back, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie. Louis' hoodie.

"Sorry," he says quietly, eyes kept to the floor.

"Don't apologize, it's okay," Louis says, "do you want to talk about it?"

Harry nods. "Not here, though. We could, um, get a drink and sit in the park?"

"Sure," Louis says warmly, "I'll get them. There's a Costa in the hospital, if you like?"

Harry nods and follows Louis up the stairs and into the Costa just to the right of the hospital.

As they're waiting in the queue Harry sees a woman burst into tears as a doctor gives her some news, shaking her head as another woman pulls her in for a hug.

Harry tries hard not to think about him being in the position soon.

"Haz? Harry!"

Harry looks away and over to Louis. "Sorry. Um, I'll take a peppermint tea, please."

Louis looks behind Harry to see what he was looking at, face morphing in to one of worry as he looks back to the boy in front of him. "C'mon, don't think about it. We'll talk in a minute," he says as he pulls Harry in front of him to hug from behind as they wait for their order.

Their drinks come not longer after and the two boys take them and head to the park behind the hospital, finding a good tree to sit under.

"So, any news on your mum?"

Harry nods, playing with the cup in his lap. "Um, the doctor said that, uh, the medicine she's on, it's not, um," Harry shakes his head, "it's stopped working."

"Is there something else they can give her?"

Harry shakes his head again. "That's it. There's nothing else they can do," he says, voice cracking at the end as the first tear slips.

"Oh Haz," Louis says, taking Harry's cup and placing it next to his before tugging the Omega into his lap. "I'm so sorry."

"It's so stupid cause when she first got sick the doctor said there wouldn't be a high chance of her surviving, but for some reason I kept thinking they'd miraculously find something new for her. She's dying," Harry says, more tears falling down as he grips Louis' sweater in his hands.

Louis knows that nothing he can say will make any of this better so he just hugs Harry tighter on his lap and rocks them backwards and forwards lightly, letting Harry cry softly into his shoulder as the cold air whips around them.

"Your mum's always gonna be with you, Haz, even if it's not in person. She'll just be free from all the pain instead, yeah?" Louis says softly, Harry nodding as some curls fall in front of his face as he tries to calm himself down.

"It sucks, it sucks so bad. It's not fair, my mum doesn't deserve this, out of all the people in the world she's the kindest person I know. She doesn't deserve to, to die this way," Harry says brokenly into Louis' chest.

"I know, babes, it isn't fair. It's shit," Louis says quietly, "but life is like that, I guess. Life is really shit."

"Two weeks," Harry whispers.

"Sorry?"

"Two weeks, that's how long the doctor said she had left. Two fucking weeks," Harry says , voice wavering as more tears pool in his eyes.

"I'll drive you over here every day after school, if you like. And I'll stay here with you, even if you just want me to wait in the car. We can bring her some flowers or something?" Louis offers, not knowing what else to do.

Harry smiles softly as fat tears roll down his face. "Yeah, I'd like that. She'd like it too. Thank you, Louis."

Louis smiles softly and hands Harry his tea back, noticing the omega shivering slightly. "Babe you need to wear a proper coat when you go outside, my hoodie isn't thick enough for the winter."

Harry blushes and takes a long sip of his tea. He hadn't realised that Louis knew he was slowly stealing all of his clothing. "Sorry, I can give it back to you."

"That's not what I meant," Louis says, brushing some hair off of Harry's forehead, "keep the hoodie, but put something warmer on over the top next time, yeah?"

"I, um, I don't really have a winter coat at the moment. I had an old one that was starting to get too small, but, um, someone at school stole it from me. I'm just gonna wait it out until the next winter rolls around and see if I can save to get one then," Harry says, face red from embarrassment still, but this time from his money situation again.

The Alpha frowns. "You don't have a coat?"

Harry shakes his head.

"Jesus, no wonder you're always getting a cold. How about we go into town on the way home and get you a coat and something to bring for your mum tomorrow?" Louis suggests, rubbing his hand up and down the Omegas arm to try and bring some warmth to him.

"No!" Harry protests, shrinking back when he realises he was a little loud, "Sorry, I just, um, you don't need to buy me a coat. I'll be fine."

"No you won't, so either I'm buying you a coat, or I'm giving you mine, and then I'll be without a coat. So pick, either I go cold or you go warm, which is it?" Louis challenges, knowing he's won.

"That's not fair," Harry grumbles, relaxing into Louis' arms some more now he's stopped crying, "fine. But it's only going to be a cheap one."

"Okay," Louis agrees with a smirk.

Harry knows he's not going to get a cheap one.

-

"Just try it on!" 

"Absolutely not! It's way too much, that wasn't even in my realms of what is expensive it's so expensive. No way, let's go to a different shop," Harry argues, hands on his hips in what Louis is guessing should be a menacing manner but is really just fucking adorable.

"Please! It would look so cute on you, you don't even have to get it. I just wanna see what it would look like," Louis begs, holding up the coat.

It's a slightly cropped light blue corduroy jacket, line with white fur and a fur hood.

Harry has to admit it's really cute but it's still way to expensive.

"Okay fine, I'm gonna try it on, and then we're gonna put it back and go to Primark," Harry bargains, slipping off his hoodie and carefully putting the jacket on.

He turns to look in the mirror, a shy smile in his face.

Okay it's really cute.

A/N (kinda like this but more fur inside)

"Haz, c'mon, pretty please let me get it for you," Louis begs, holding Harry's hoodie in one arm as he straightens out the collar with the other.

"It's not even waterproof, so, doesn't really make much sense to spend this much on it," Harry says quietly.

"Okay, let's keep this one as a maybe and have another look for a waterproof one, deal?" Louis says hopefully as Harry frowns at him.

"I feel like there's a Tomlinson catch coming up here," he says doubtfully, heart fluttering when Louis laughs at him.

"C'mon, let's keep looking," Louis says as he takes the jacket from Harry and slips it on the hanger, throwing that over his arm too so Harry's left in just a white t-shirt.

Louis sees Harry eyeing up a white bomber style coat lined with fur again.

"That's looks cute, why don't you try that on?" Louis suggests.

Harry drops the sleeve he was holding and shakes his head abruptly. "No, definitely not. Its white, only rich people wear white coats, because they can afford to wear a coat that will 100 percent end up dirty after the first wear. No way, it'll be really expensive too."

"Please? You still don't have to buy it, but this one is waterproof, and that seemed to be very important to you earlier," Louis bargains.

Harry glares at Louis again, reaching our for his size and again carefully putting his arms in through the holes. "I hate you."

Louis just smirks as Harry turns to look in the mirror again.

"So?"

"It's warm, it's cute, it's not in our price range. Let's put them back and go somewhere else," Harry says decisively even as he looks longingly at himself in the mirror.

"Okay, hand it here then," Louis says, making Harry look warily at him.

"You're not going to argue with me about it?"

"Nope, hand me the jacket," Louis says, holding out his palm and taking the coat.

Harry does so, feeling satisfied that he's won the fight even if he still secretly really wants the jacket.

Louis then suddenly pulls his phone out, swearing at the screen. "Shit, I need to call my sister. Why don't you go and look for a coat in Primark whilst I put these back and call Lottie?" 

Harry nods. "Okay, I'll just be in the main section," he says, taking back his (Louis') hoodie as he head up the stairs of the shopping centre into Primark.

He looks around for a while, feeling way more uncomfortable now he's by himself, pulling on a coat every now and again, finding them all fairly ugly in comparison to whichever expensive shop Louis had pulled him into.

Ten or so minutes later, just as Harry is beginning to worry about where Louis may have gotten to, he shows up, slightly red in the face as though he may have run here.

"Hey, lets go," Louis says, slightly out of breath.

Harry frowns. "I thought we were getting a coat? They have some over here that are £15. Why do you look like you sprinted here? Is Lottie okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah. She's fine. Right, a coat. You know, if we get one from here it's just gonna go funny in a few weeks. It's not really worth it," Louis says seriously.

"Oh, um, okay," Harry says quietly, slightly confused at Louis' sudden turn in attitude. "I mean, you did tell me to look for one in here."

"Okay, fine. Pick one of the £15 ones, then. Actually, don't, the queues massive, why don't we order one? Yeah, let's order one, we'll get speedy delivery. Let's go," Louis says, tugging Harry by his sleeve out of the shop.

"Primark don't even do delivery, Lou. And I didn't get to try any of them on, slow down," Harry complains, stumbling on his feet behind Louis.

"Well, order few sizes then and send the ones that don't fit back. I think there was a flower market downstairs we can go to for something for your mum. Hows that sound?" Louis asks, finally slowing down as they reach the escalators, smiling up at Harry as he's a step down from him.

The Omega just smiles, still confused about what just happened. Maybe Louis just didn't want to pay for his coat anymore, which was fair enough.

They pick out some nice flowers, the lady tying them in some brown paper to make a bouquet, telling them they make a lovely couple.

Neither boy corrects her.

Harry tries not to think too hard about that.

"We need to go food shopping again, by the way. How about we just get a McDonald's or something whilst we're here?" Louis suggests, wrapping an arm around Harry's waist to keep them together as the crowd starts thickening.

"Um, if you want to," Harry says, focusing on making sure the flowers don't get jostled and not on the arm around him.

Louis smiles and guides them to the queue at the McDonald's station, eye flicking over the menu.

They both order their food, Louis taking the tray over to a small table in the corner of the food court, away from the busy chatter of people.

As Harry carefully pours his fries into the lid of his nuggets box, flowers rested on the seat next to him, Louis thinks about how he could very easily get used to all of this.

It's not a date, because they've done things like this countless times over the last couple of months, but every time Louis thinks about how easily it could be a date.

About how much he wants it to be a date.

"So," Louis breaks the silence, "you said someone stole your last coat. Those boys still giving you trouble?"

Since Louis had shouted at those three Alphas, Harry never talks to him about the bullying at school. He'd managed to convince Louis not to talk to the school about it, but every time Louis asked him about it he managed to deflect the conversation.

Now, he just shrugs. "They stole my coat ages ago, before you told them to leave me alone, so, it's cool."

Louis frowns. "Doesn't really answer my question, are they still giving your trouble or not?"

Harry sighs, dropping his nugget back in the box. "Louis, I'm a boy and I'm an Omega. Even if I wasn't strange, that would still be enough of a reason to be bullied. But I'm also Harry Styles, weak, poor, stupid, and I don't have much of a family. If I wasn't bullied I'd me more surprised."

"So they are still bullying you, then," Louis says, sighing in frustration, "Harry you can't keep letting them walk over you like this. Fight back, or let me talk to someone. This can't continue."

Harry shakes his head, picking at his fries and avoiding eye contact with the Alpha across from him.

"You must have some friends. Wasn't there some kid called Nicholas your sister used to talk about?" Louis questions.

"Nick," Harry mutters, "and Nick was one of those boys you shouted at. So you can see where that friendship went."

"Okay, well, why don't you try talking to someone? There must be other people in your year, babe, that aren't complete arses. What about the girl omega's?"

"The last time I tried to make a friend at school they rolled their eyes at me and pushed me backwards and I fell over and everyone laughed at me. I've made it this far with no friends, I only have half a year left," Harry says quietly, feeling guilty when he smells Louis' usually woody scent go away.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have done that, I guess when I was in school I cared about reputation way too much, and having my friends little brother hanging around with me felt mortifying at the time. But I was a dick, am a dick, not everyone's like me," Louis says softly.

"It's fine. And you're not a dick, I shouldn't have said that. You've made me feel a lot less lonely these last few weeks. I'm sorry, that I always used to put up a fight with you about everything. I guess I was a bit of dick, too," Harry's says.

Louis shakes his head. "Don't, you don't need to apologize for anything. But please let me talk to your school?"

"It's fine. Can I have one of your cheese bites?" Harry asks with a little smile, Louis rolling his eyes teasingly and pushing the box towards Harry.

"Go on then," he says with a smirk.

-

As they're pulling up to Harry's home, McDonalds all finished, Harry's eyes catch the glint of a bag in the back.

"Wait, what's that?" Harry mumbles, trying to turn around in his seat and giving up as Louis pulls up to the drive, jumping out of the seat as soon as the car is in park and quickly opening the back door.

"Woah, Harry wait, what are you doing?" Louis asks in a panic.

"There's a bag hidden under this seat," Harry says, one leg flailing in the air as he rumages around under the seat.

"Yeah, well, it's my car, maybe it's mine?" Louis says, pulling Harry back by his waist.

Harry turns to him with a little pout. "I wanna know what's in it!"

Louis smirks, rolling his eyes and pulling Harry behind him as he reaches for the bag. "Well, lucky for you, it actually is for you, this time. You wanna open it when we get inside?"

Harry nods, bouncing slightly on his feet in anticipation as he follows Louis up to his house.

"You know, you've never invited me round to your place. I wanna casa Tomlinson sometime," Harry says, voice slurring a little as the exhaustion from the day begins to take over him, probably making him more chatty than normal as well.

"Yeah? You'd probably like my apartment, you know. It's really small and I share it with Liam and Zayn. You'd get on well with Zayn, I think, he's an Omega too," Louis says, jostling with the key in the door, trying not to drop the bag in his hand as he manages to open the door.

"You live with an-" Harry rubs his eye as he yawns, following Louis into the apartment, "another Omega? Is that, like, safe? For the O?"

Louis frowns. "Yeah? Why wouldn't it be, Alphas do have some form of self control you know Harry."

"What 'bout his heats?"

"Oh. Well, when it's his heat, or mine or Li's ruts, we usually just lock ourselves in our rooms and the other two use a shit ton of scent neutralisers. But it's not really a problem, to be honest. It's quite a newly built apartment so all the rooms are sound proof, and the smell doesn't really penetrate through the walls anyways," Louis explains, setting the bag down on Harry's counter and taking the flowers from his hands, "shit, it's later than I thought. You must be knackered".

Harry shrugs. "Wanna see what's in the bag!"

Louis hesitates slightly. "Okay, but you have to promise not to get mad."

"Pinky promise," Harry says, holding out his little finger.

"Really? You want me to pinky promise with you? How old are you, twelve?" Louis teases despite the fondness in his heart.

Harry just glares adorably at him. "No, I'm seventeen, thank you very much. And if you break a pinky promise you get your pinky finger broken, so I, Harry Edward Styles, solemnly swear that by the power of the pinky promise should I get mad at you over what's in the bag you have full permission to break my finger."

Louis bites back a smile and sighs, linking his finger with the Omega's. "Okay fine, I pinky promise. And you never tell anyone that I just did that, deal?"

Harry nods happily, making grabby hands for the bag. "I wanna see now, please."

Louis passes the bag over, nervous for Harry's reaction.

The Omega stutters slightly as he opens the bag, looking up to Louis and then back at the bag again. "Lou..."

"Yeah?"

"I, you didn't, we agreed not to get them," he says softly.

Okay so maybe Lottie hadn't called him, and maybe he'd bought the too jackets, sprinted to his car to drop them in there and then sprinted back to the shopping centre.

But they were cute!

And Louis' family had more money than they knew what to do with so why couldn't he buy Harry nice things?

He deserved it more than anyone else.

"What about the Primark one?" Harry asks, clearly confused.

"Well, as you said, Primark doesn't deliver. So, you weren't ever really going to get a Primark coat, babe. But if you saw one you liked we can go back another day and get it if you really want. I just thought these ones might be a bit warmer and last a bit longer," Louis explains, "so? Are you mad?"

Harry shakes his head and for the second time today launches himself at Louis. "Thank you. I promise, one day, I'll repay you. Somehow."

I can think of one way you could repay me right now Louis doesn't say.

"Don't worry about it. Don't go out in a flimsy hoodie any more, okay?" Louis says instead, wrapping Harry up in his arms.

"Pinky promise," Harry says, smiling when Louis laughs in his ear.

-

"Louis?"

"Yeah?"

"When mum d-, when she's not here anymore, what's going to happen to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where will I live? Who's gonna look after me?"

"I'm not sure where you'll live, kind of depends on what your mum says in her will. But you're 17, so it's really up to you. I don't know what will happen to this house, but you'll always have a place at my flat, Haz. At least until you go to Uni, if that's what you decide to do. I'll always be here to look after you, babe. Always."

"Promise?"

Louis smiles despite himself. "Pinky promise. Now go back to sleep."

Harry nods in the dark, turning round to curl up into Louis' embrace rather than being the little spoon.

Cause yeah, that's a thing they do now, they share Harry's tiny single bed.

"Thank you, Lou."

"Shh, go to sleep."

-

Harry steps out of the hospital room, a week before Christmas, and collapses into Louis' waiting arms.

"Babe?"

"She's gone," Harry whispers, crying into Louis' neck as the Alpha holds him tightly, rocking them side to side.

"I'm so sorry, Haz," Louis says, and he knows it's meaningless, that when someone dies everyone apologizes even though it's not their fault, and really? Louis' just sorry he can't take any of the pain away.

Sorry it has to be Harry that lost his mum, and not someone else.

Behind him he can hear Gemma screaming, sees a nurse trying to pry her away as she tries to hold on to her mum for dear life, yelling at the nurse that she's not dead. Not her mum. No Anne.

Louis' heart hurts, seeing the boy he loves in pieces in his arms and his best friend in denial with a stranger.

"Harry? I need to go and get Gemma. Can you stay here just for a few seconds, babe?" Louis says softly, hating himself for even having to say it.

Harry whimpers, holding on tighter to the Alpha. 

Louis shushes him, stroking through Harry's hair. "It's okay, I'm just going to be in there. I need to help Gemma, please Haz, it's just a few seconds."

Harry nods and steps away from Louis, slumping into a chair and burying his face into his hands.

It goes completely against Louis' Alpha instincts to leave his Omega in pain, but he does so anyways.

He isn't your Omega.

Louis hates that voice sometimes.

"No! Get off of me! She isn't fucking dead! She just needs some help! You have to help her!" Gemma shrieks, her Alpha voice bouncing off the walls, seemingly not phasing the nurse.

"Ma'am, I'm very sorry, but you need to step away from the body. We-"

"Stop! She isn't a fucking body, she's my mum! Mum wake up! Please! This isn't funny!" 

"Gemma!" Louis shouts, trying to get his voice heard over the raucous.

Gemma's eyes snap over to her best friend's. "Louis? What- why are you here?"

"I, I've been staying with Harry. I'm here for Harry, but I'm here for you too. Please, Gem, you have to come outside now. Harry needs you, just as much as you need him," Louis says softly, staying a good distance away from Gemma to try not to panic her.

"Well, you can tell Harry to come back in here. This nurse is fucking deluded! Mum isn't dead! How can she not understand that? They told us she's not breathing, but that's no true! Tell her to fuck off!" Gemma shouts.

"Gem, you're brother is outside in pieces, you need to be strong now, strong for each other. It's what your mum would have wanted," Louis says carefully, not wanting to have to tell Gemma that her mum is dead.

Grief is a majorly fucked thing, Louis thinks bitterly.

"Why is he in pieces? Mum isn't dead! Someone needs to tell him! Harry! Haz!" Gemma shouts, somehow louder than before, alerting Harry as Louis swears, looking behind him to see Harry appearing at the door, eyes red and blood shot.

"Gemma don't-"

"Harry mum isn't dead, you don't need to cry. Come here, look, she's right here. She's just sleeping. She's just in a coma, come here, Harry. Mum's fine," Gemma says softer, holding her hand out to Harry.

"Gem, please, you can't do this," Harry says brokenly, more tears pouring down his face as he looks at his sister, "Mum's not with us anymore. She's dead, Gemma. Don't tell me she isn't, please," he begs.

"No! You don't understand. The nurse lied, she's fine!" Gemma fights.

"No she's not-"

"She is! My mum isn't dead!-"

"Gemma-"

"I've had enough of this bullshit! Mum! Wake up! Mummy-"

"Gemma stop!" Harry screams, sobbing loudly at the door way.

Louis' stuck in his place.

"Mum's dead! Okay? I watched her take her last breath! Her face is blue! She's cold! I don't want to look at my dead mother! I want her to be alive too, but she's not. She's been dying for weeks, I've been the one talking with the doctors whilst you sat in here talking to mum like she was absolutely fine when she wasn't! She's been dying since they brought her in here!" Harry takes a breath to look away from her sister, the look of fear on her face suffocating her too much. 

"She's dead, and we have to leave so the doctors can clean her up and get the room ready for someone else," Harry whispers, turning to look back at his sister, "please, we have to go outside."

Gemma lets her first tears slip down silently. "No," she whispers in disbelief.

"I'm gonna be sick," is all Harry can get out before he's bolting out the door and to where Louis presumes is the bathrooms.

"Look, I'm so sorry, but do you think you'll be able to take her some place quiet and get her a tea or something? I really need to go and check on him," Louis pleads with the nurse.

"Sure, honey. You go make sure he's okay, I'll let the front desk know where we are," the nurse says with kind smile, reassuring Louis that Gemma would be fine with her. "C'mon, sweetheart, let's go and find somewhere a little nicer than this."

Gemma takes one last look at her mum before letting the nurse lead her out.

Louis chases out the door in the general direction Harry had headed towards, finding the signs for the toilets and heading towards them.

"Harry? Haz?" Louis calls as he bolts through the door, pushing the stall doors open before finding Harry crouched in front of the end one, no longer being sick but just sat on the floor, back resting on the wall as he sobs violently into his knees.

"Oh babe, c'mon, we can't stay here. Anyone could come in, we need to go," Louis says softly, pulling Harry up and flushing the toilet, washing his hands before turning to Harry.

"Gem?"

"She's okay. A nice nurse has gone to look after her and get her some tea, and I'm sure we can go and find her too and get somewhere a little more private," Louis says softly. "I'm sorry you had to see that, I shouldn't have left you."

Harry shook his head. "She's been like it this whole time. She couldn't let herself believe mum was actually ill. I think it's why she wasn't staying with me, cause she knew mum was supposed to be there and she wasn't."

Louis doesn't know what else to do, just pulls Harry back into his arms again, picking the Omega up when he lifts his legs up and holding him tightly.

-

"Hi, Harry. I'm PC Davies. We're just here to talk to today about your home situation, okay? So you're going to be issued with a social worker as you're still 17 and were previously under the full time care if your mum. However, we understand that as you are almost an adult foster care might not be the best option for you. Is there someone you can stay with for the next couple of days or weeks whilst we sort everything out and then your social worker will get some paper work and legalise everything?" 

Harry nods, looking at his knees.

They were still at the hospital, in the little room Gemma had been taken too.

It had been four hours since Harry last saw his mum. 

He can't bring himself to talk to the bloody police officer.

"Yeah, we decided Harry would come and stay with me," Louis says instead, sitting next to him with a hand resting on his back.

"Right. And can I just take a name and relation to Harry?"

"Sure, I'm Louis Tomlinson, I've been friends with both Harry and Gemma since we were little and I've been staying with Harry recently whilst his mum's been in hospital," Louis says, hoping against all god's it's enough to let them let Harry stay with him.

The doctor looks up a little hesitantly. "Right. Okay, usually the child would stay with a relative? Is there not an uncle or a god parent or a grand parent or something Harry could stay with? Or your sister, Harry. Can you not stay with Gemma?" 

Harry shakes his head. "Gem lives with her boyfriend, and he lives with his friend who's an Alpha and I'm not comfortable with his scent because I don't know him. I don't have any god parents and my grand parents on my mum's side died before I was alive. We don't talk to my dad's side of the family anymore. I want to stay with Louis," he forces himself to say.

"Okay. My issue is that Mr Tomlinson is an unmated Alpha who has no actual relation to you and I don't want to send a vulnerable Omega home with a potentially dangerous Alpha. There's shelters you can stay in if you want?"

Harry shakes his head and sinks back into Louis' arm, feeling sick at the thought. "With all due respect, sir, my mum just died and I really don't want to spend the night any where else than with Louis. If you send me to a shelter I'll just escape and go to Louis' apartment. It would be safer for you and your department if you let me go with Louis and we give you the address. Louis lives with an Alpha and another Omega, so we won't be alone. Gemma can give you her permission that it's okay."

The police officer sighs. "Okay, we'll get you three to sign some forms and then you can be on your way. I'll be back in a just a moment."

Harry let's out a sigh as soon as the policeman leaves, the scent of him making him uncomfortable as be buries his nose into Louis' jumper, trying to take in as much of the familiar scent as possible.

"We'll go home soon, I promise. Or I guess not home, cause it's my apartment. But I really think you will like it there. We can order some food in if you like?" Louis offers, Harry saying nothing as he just takes in the scent of Louis.

All day he's had conversations with doctors after doctors, nurses after nurses, family members after family members, and now people trying to find the easiest place so shuffle him along to.

Harry could almost find it humourous that some random policeman could possibly think that he'd be better off in an Omega shelter than with the one person whose made him feel safe these last horrendous months.

The police officer comes back in, forcing Harry to pull himself away and sign the damn documents, Louis and Gemma too, before he's also leaving.

"Alright. I think we should finally be free to go home. Gem, you need a ride?"

Gemma shakes her head. "Tom drove here so we're all good, thanks."

Tom was the name of her boyfriend.

Louis nods, feeling a slight awkward tension in the air. "Okay, well um, Harry, you good to head home?"

Harry nods, not able to look his sister in the eye. "Um, I just wanted to quickly talk to the doctor that's been looking after mum, please," he whispers into Louis' ear.

"Of course, let's go."

Harry doesn't even say bye to his sister.

"This is Liam, and this Zayn. Guys, this is Harry," Louis introduces.

"Hey, Louis' told us so much about you. We hope you feel very welcome whilst you stay with us. This is your home too for as long as you'll need it," the guy Louis said was Liam says, with a kind smile.

Harry's kind of confused by his little speech until Zayn sniggers, elbowing the Alpha. "You're not a spa resort, Li, give the kid a rest. Hi, Harry, I'm Zayn. Make yourself at home."

Harry returns Zayn's smile, not really sure how to act in front of another male Omega.

"Thanks guys, alright, let's get you settled into our bedroom," Louis says, guiding Harry with a hand at the small of his back.

Harry tugs down subconsciously at his sweater sleeves as Louis gently shuts the door to his room.

"Yeah, so, it's not amazing or anything, and it's usually way messier than this but I tidied it specially for you, which, I mean it was quite a mammoth job not gonna lie. And the bed is a double so you should have more space, but if you feel like you need your own space just say the words and I'll piss off and sleep on the sofa, or maybe burrow in with Liam. Just, don't feel shy to tell me to go away if you want to be left alone," Louis says, setting Harry's stuff down on the nicely made bed. (Yes, Louis even made his bed)

"And I've cleared some space in the closet and the draws for you, so you can unpack your stuff properly at some point if you like," Louis adds, showing Harry the closet.

"Okay, cool, I'm gonna give you a minute to explore whilst I go and talk to Liam and Zayn quickly, okay? I'll just be outside, shout and I'll come straight back. Is that okay?" Louis asks.

Harry nods, looking up at Louis. "Okay."

Louis smiles, exiting the room quickly and softly shutting the door behind him.

Harry sighs as he's left alone. Never in his life has he wanted to be in his shitty little room by himself more than right now.

With Louis tucked up way too close in that tiny bed of his, holding him safely.

Here, Harry didn't know where he stood. He felt like an intruder in Liam and Zayn's home. The lines of his and Louis' thing were now more blurred than ever before.

And above all, he just wanted a cuddle with his mum.

He felt pathetic as he curled up into himself on the bed, not really crying just letting the tears run down his face.

He'd never been as scared as he was when his sister was screaming today. He'd never felt so out of control.

There had been a moment when Gemma was screaming at him and her eyes had gone glassy and Harry was sure she'd be sent to a psychiatric hospital, never to have a sane conversation again.

Harry thinks maybe Gemma lost her sense of rationale a long time ago.

Harry also thinks maybe he's the one going crazy.

Hearing the door swing open again Harry quickly wipes his tears away and sits up, hoping Louis doesn't notice.

"Li and Z are gonna go out tonight, so you can relax a little more and not worry about them. They've actually just left, lord knows we don't see them until the early hours of the morning. I think we should get some food, and then put on some meaningless film and fall asleep. It's been a long day, babe. What do you say?" Louis says, wiping Harry's tears away but not saying anything about it.

Harry shrugs, let's Louis pull him up and follows him into the tiny kitchen, letting out a little gasp when Louis sits him up on the counter.

"Okay, let's see, we got some off Zayn's left over curry?" Louis pulls out a container, looking a little skeptical at it. "Actually, I'm not sure how edible that is anymore. Um, we got some chicken burgers? And some chips? Or there's so pasta in the cupboard with I think a jar of pesto."

Harry scrunches up his nose and shakes his head. "No thank you."

Louis frowns. "I thought you liked pesto? We can order in if you like?"

"Not hungry."

Louis sighs, resting his hands on Louis' thighs. "Harry, you've got to eat something. Please, for me? You were sick earlier, your stomach must be empty."

Harry looks into Louis' blue eyes with his watery green ones. "Just feels like I'll never be hungry again. I feel full, but not from food. Just full. And yet empty at the same time."

"How about I make some pasta, and you just say a tiny little bit, for me. And then I'll stop bothering you over food and we can watch something of your choice," Louis compromises.

Harry sighs. "Okay."

Louis feels a tiny flicker of triumph. "Brilliant. Okay, I'll get the pasta then. Right, pasta, where are you."

Louis spends a grand total of five minutes rumaging round in the fridge looking for pasta until Harry quietly points out that pasta will be probably be in the cupboard if it's dried.

"Yeah, I knew that, just checking you was switched on is all," Louis says with a slight teasing tone as Harry let's out a tiny giggle

Louis feels that triumphant flicker grow.

"Right then, pasta, what do I do with you?" Louis narrates, bending down to study the cooking instructions with a small frown on his face.

Harry let's out another giggle from his seat on the counter. "Louis are you being serious?"

Louis glares at Harry. "I'm just not familiar with this exact brand, that's all."

"Sure," Harry teases back, finally feeling a little more comfortable in Louis' flat.

They eat the (magically edible) pasta in front of the TV, Harry choosing to watch friends despite having watched it a million times before, just needing something to wash over his head. 

He ends up falling asleep, head in Louis' lap as the Alpha strokes his hair softly, eventually scooping him up and carrying him into the bedroom.

Louis thinks they end up sleeping closer together than they normally would in Harry's tiny bed.

-

Harry's mum's funeral comes. It's awful, but he didn't really expect much better.

Harry thinks funerals shouldn't be allowed, they definitely don't help the grieving process.

-

Louis rolls over in his bed, reaching out for Harry and frowning when he finds nothing. "Harry?"

The Alpha blindly reaches out for his phone, groaning when the time reads 3:05.

He throws on a hoodie and pads out to the kitchen. "Haz?"

Harry's eyes meet Louis' in the dark from where he's sitting on the counter, the same place he'd sat when he first stayed at Louis' apartment.

It was almost three months ago now, the end of March in sight as the bleak weather began to disappear too.

"I didn't mean to wake you up, sorry," Harry whispers, relaxing when Louis pulls him in for a sleepy hug.

"S'alright. What're you doin' up," Louis mumbles into Harry's shoulder, his sleep riddled brain making it hard to form a sentence.

"Couldn't sleep. Was just thinking about stuff. You can go back to bed if you want," Harry whispers again.

The truth was Harry hadn't been able to sleep well at all since his mum had died. He felt like whenever he shut his eyes all he could think about was that day, Gemma screaming at him, his mum not breathing.

And whenever he did finally fall asleep he'd have these horrific nightmares of his mum being right in front of him, and then suddenly falling and Harry could never save her in time.

Most nights he found himself tucked up somewhere in the apartment, usually sitting by the window in the kitchen where he was tonight, looking out at the world.

It felt more peaceful.

"We need to, um, you've school tomorrow. You'll be knackered," Louis mutters.

Harry shakes his head. " 'm not sleepy. Go without me."

Louis steps back from Harry's warmth and frowns. "How long has this been going on for?"

Harry tenses, slightly panicked. "What?"

"This. Not sleeping. I've noticed you always falling asleep in the car to and from school, I've noticed you crashing out on the sofa when you get home, and you're school rang the other day to say they were worried about your school work, said you seemed constantly distracted in school. You haven't been sleeping at night, have you?" Louis questions.

Harry sighs, looking down. "I can't. Every time I shut my eyes," Harry shakes his head, "I can't. It's too much. I just nap during the day and it gets me through it, but at night my mind just runs wild. I'm sorry."

Louis tries to hold back a sigh of frustration. Of course Harry would apologize, of course he would try and make it seem like he was absolutely fine. He wasn't, and he knew it.

"Don't. Don't apologize. Look, maybe you should think about seeing someone. Professionally, like. I'm sure you have a school counsellor, and if not we can take you to the doctor's, or get one private. Grief is a really shitty thing, Haz. You're sister's been seeing someone," Louis says softly, knowing it was touchy subject.

Both the seeing someone and Gemma.

Harry hadn't spoken to Gemma since the day in the hospital.

"Good for her then, but I don't need to see someone. I'm fine," Harry says defiantly.

"Why don't you just try. Have one session, and then I promise if you don't like it you won't have to go again. And we'll get something to help your sleep, yeah? Some melatonin gummy bears or something, they helped Lottie with her insomnia. What do you think?" Louis bargains.

Harry sags in defeat. Louis will always win, and they both know it.

"Just one," he says, linking his little finger with Louis automatically as Louis presses a little kiss to their joined fingers.

-

If there's been anything positive in the last few months, it's friends.

Harry went from having no friends to having Louis, which okay, Harry kinda wanted Louis to be more than a friend now but he'd take what he could get, a new beta in school called Niall who'd sat next to Harry in his art lesson and they'd instantly hit it off, and Liam and Zayn.

Okay maybe he was still a little intimidated by Liam, but he'd managed to have a few good conversations with Zayn and considered him to be a good friend.

As it was it was just the two of them in the apartment right now, watching reruns of friends after Harry had come to the horrific realisation that Zayn had never watched an episode of it before in his life.

"So," Zayn starts, breaking the silence, "You and Lou. What's up with that?"

Harry chokes on his water, wiping away the spillage on his chin and shakily setting down the glass. "Sorry?"

"You and Louis. The Alpha you're currently sharing a bed with. What is up with that?" Zayn repeats smugly.

The younger boy panics a little, trying to keep calm and okay dumb. "I mean, I can sleep on the couch if it would make you feel better?"

Zayn snorts. "That's not what I meant, idiot. You like Louis-"

"Louis' a friend who very kindly offered me a place in his apartment when I had nowhere else to go. And as the house I used to live in technically belonged to my asshole of a father and he hates us, the house was sold so he could have more money. When I finish school I'm gonna get a job and rent my own place and then I'll be out of your hair," Harry recites, something he'd told Louis a million times whenever he felt guilty about staying here for too long.

"Firstly, I'm sorry your father is a dick, secondly stay here as long as you need, you clean, you cook, you keep Louis from being a complete pain in my ass, and you're cute, so it's a win win. Thirdly, you never answered my question. You like Louis," Zayn says with a smirk, leaning back on the couch with his arms folded.

Harry looks over and glares at the Omega, hands on his hips. "I will fight you, Zayn Malik. I don't like Louis."

Zayn laughs. "Fight me all you want, cutey, you will lose. And I don't know any other Omega who would willingly share a bed with an Alpha unless they were a family member and had no other choice, or they liked them."

"Technically speaking, Louis' been friend with my sister since they were kids, so he may as well be family at this point," Harry argues.

"So Louis' like an older brother to you, then?"

"What? Ew, no," Harry says immediately, pouting when Zayn laughs at him.

"He's not like a brother because that would feel incestuous? Because you like him?" Zayn teases, laughing when Harry shoves him in the ribs.

"I hate you," Harry grumbles, shrieking when Zayn shoves him back, "right that's it," he says, giving Zayn no extra warning before launching towards him and grabbing his hair.

"Hey! Not my quiff!" Zayn splutters, turning Harry over so he was on the sofa and Zayn was straddling him, holding his arms above his head with one arm and tickling him in all the right spots with the other. "Do you like Louis?"

Harry squeals and thrashes under Zayn, trying his hardest to wriggle out of his annoyingly strong grip. "No! Let me go Zayn!"

Zayn doesn't let up, digging his fingers in harder, effectively making Harry laugh harder. "Do you like him, Haz?"

Harry reaches up to try and bite Zayns fingers, kicking his back with his knees. "Piss off!"

They both fall to the floor, Zayn continuing to tickle Harry, the boy trying and failing to fight him off.

"Just admit it and I'll let you be. Do you like Louis?"

Harry gasps, trying to take in deep breaths between his uncontrollable laughter from being tickled. "Zayn, please, I'm begging you, stop."

"No can do, babe," Zayn says, going for under Harry's armpits, knowing that was Harry's biggest weakness.

Just as he does and Harry let's out a very unmanly scream, the front door opens, Louis and Liam walking in with grocery shopping bags.

The two Alpha's halt when they see Zayn straddling a flustered Harry on the floor beneath him.

"Hi," Zayn says, a little breathlessly, "um, this isn't, uh, we were just playing."

Harry winces at how that doesn't really sound all the great. 

"Oh. Right," Louis says shortly, eyeing the way Zayn was sitting right on Harry's thighs.

"I'm just going to put the groceries away," Liam says, hauling the bags in Louis' hands with his own and quickly walks towards the kitchen.

Zayn is still straddling Harry.

"Z, you're squishing me," Harry says quietly, trying to get the other Omega to get off so Louis can stop looking at him with that unreadable expression on his face.

Zayn looks back down at Harry. "Oh, right. Yeah, okay, sure thing," he says, quickly getting up and offering a hand out to Harry, who gladly accepts the offer.

Harry looks over to Louis and swears when he sees an empty space, the shut of Louis' door echoing throughout the room.

"Fuck," Harry whines, looking worriedly at Zayn. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Okay, no more messing around. Do you actually like him, Harry. Be honest," Zayn says, no more teasing edge to his voice.

Harry avoids eye contact and just nods. "Please don't tell anyone."

Zayn rolls his eyes and pushes Harry towards Louis' door. "Go talk to him then, idiot."

Harry squeals a little but follows after Louis, tentatively opening the door.

"Can I come in?"

Louis looks up distractedly and shrugs. "Sure."

Harry nods stepping in and carefully shutting the door. "Um, about that, me and Zayn-"

"You and Zayn can do whatever you want. You don't need to explain anything to me, Haz. Do what you like," Louis says, coming across somewhat distantly despite being less than a few feet away from him.

"No, I swear it's not like that, I don't like Zayn. I mean I do, I do like Zayn, but just as a friend," Harry rambles.

"Yeah, cause friends straddle their friends all the time," Louis mutters.

"That doesn't mean-"

"Especially when both friends were breathing heavily and red in the face-"

"We were having a tickle fight! I'm ticklish, he was trying to get me to admit something and I wouldn't, so he tickled me! That's all that happened, Louis. I promise," Harry says, wide eyes staring into Louis' honestly.

"Oh," Louis says dumbly. "You're ticklish?"

Harry let's out laugh of relief. "Yes, annoyingly very much so. It's a weakness of mine."

Louis laughs at that and pulls Harry in for a hug. "So you don't like Zayn more than a friend?"

"No."

The two link pinkies down by their sides, Harry bringing them up to press a small kiss to them.

"So what was he trying to get out of you?"

Harry groans as his face floods red. "I'm not telling you either."

"Heyyy. I thought I got special privileges," Louis complains. "I am losing half of my bed space because of you."

Where Harry would once go red in embarrassment and humiliation, stumbling over his words as he promises Louis he'll be gone soon and apologies a million times, he just smirks in response.

"I'm also giving you a free cuddling service every night, so we're in even," he teases back.

"C'mon, please! I wanna know, Hazza!" Louis begs.

"It was Omega things, sorry, can't tell you," Harry says instead, hoping that will get Louis to back off.

"Ugh, fine, whatever. But now I know you're ticklish I'm gonna have so much power over you," Louis says smugly, giving Harry one more squeeze before letting go of the hug and going back to his sorting of his desk draw that he was doing before.

Harry tries to not let what Louis just said go to his head.

Or his dick.

-

Spring is well and truly here, the slight heat with a small breeze rushing around Harry as the Omega waits for Louis to pick him up from school.

Three weeks, that's how long he has until his exams start. And then that's it. He'll be finished with school forever.

Harry still doesn't know how he feels about that.

"Hey, Haz!" Niall calls, making Harry turn around to face his new friend. "You need a lift home?"

"No, thank you Niall, but my friend is going to pick me up," Harry says quietly, still fairly shy around his friend.

He also had decided not to tell Niall about his home and family situation, not quite at that level of comfort with him so far.

"Ohh, that famous 'friend' of yours," Niall teases, wrapping an arm around Harry's small shoulders. "I wanna meet him!"

Harry freezes. "What? No, Niall, seriously that's not necessary. He's, um, shy. Very shy. Around new people. Yes, that's it, he'd completely freak out if you tried to talk to hi-"

"Hey, Haz, over here!"

Harry groans internally, looking up to see Louis bounding up to him.

Louis Tomlinson, the least shy boy he's ever met. Louis 'i actually enjoy talking to strangers all the time' Tomlinson.

"Really? He doesn't look particularly shy," Niall says dubiously as Louis reaches them.

"Hey, you must be Niall, right? Blonde, Irish, kinda hard to miss? Harry talks about you a lot. You know, you should come round some time, Haz never brings friends over, it would be nice," Louis says happily to Niall, not noticing Harry's dread or Niall's confusion.

"Right, yeah, you two live together then?" Niall asks slowly. 

"Yeah-"

"No-"

Harry glares at Louis before turning back to Niall. "I mean, um, yes, I'm staying with Louis this week, because, uh, my parents are away on holiday. Louis' a family friend of my sister."

Louis frowns at Harry before turning back to Niall. "Yeah, but you can still come over. I live with two other guys, but I'm sure we'd all get along. Harry?"

Harry has never wanted the ground to swallow him up whole more in his entire life. "Oh, um, sure. Niall's probably busy though. Exams and all that."

"Well yeah but one night wouldn't hurt. I can bring some drinks round if you like?" Niall says excitedly.

"Louis' 21, Niall, but sure. What day are you free?" Harry asks glumly, not that anyone notices.

"What about Friday? I could home with you after art?" Niall suggests.

"Perfect. It's a date. We'll see you then," Louis says happily. "C'mon, lets go home."

Harry nods and follows Louis to the car, not even bothering to wave to Niall.

As soon as the doors shut Louis turns to Harry. "You haven't told him about your mum, have you."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well, you know 'Hi my name's Harry and my mum's dead' didn't exactly feel like the best way to make friends with the new kid," Harry says grumpily.

"I thought you said you and Niall we were close," Louis asks as he pulls out of the school car park.

"I did. We are, I think. I just, I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I hate it," Harry replies, slumping in his seat and resting his feet on the dashboard.

"Oi, get off, you're gonna scuff the damn thing up," Louis complains, swatting at Harry feet. "I think you should tell Niall. About your mum and about living with me. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Haz. He isn't going to judge you."

Harry shrugs and stays silent for a little bit. "I told him you were shy, by the way, so he was probably well confused when you came running up and talking a mile a minute."

Louis snorts as Harry smiles fondly at him. "Yeah, when you lie next time you might wanna pick something more believable. Or better yet, tell the person you've completely changed their entire persona. Or just don't lie to people."

Suddenly Harry gasps and sits up right. "Holy shit!"

"What?" Louis asks, slightly panicked at Harry's expression.

"Niall's gonna realise I share a bed with you!"

"Okay, when he gets here just don't intimidate him, please," Harry says to the three older boys.

He knew Louis would be fine, and Zayn might annoy him just to annoy Harry, but he was still unsure about Liam.

They hadn't really spent all that much time together, and Harry wasn't really sure why.

Liam probably wanted Harry out of the apartment.

"Yes yes, we won't. Just relax, babe," Zayn says with a smile, tugging Harry away from the window where he's been spying out for the last half hour.

"And we were gonna tell Niall, only if it comes up in conversation, that Louis sleeps in Liam's bed and Zayn and I have our own rooms. But don't like, bring it up, just don't tell him I share with Louis," Harry rambles.

Liam snorts, making Louis look at him in amusement. "I don't wanna share with Louis, he takes up too much room."

"And he farts," Zayn adds.

"And he talks in his sleep," Liam laughs.

"Yeah, thanks lads, not like you two are much better. And I do not do any of those things, right Harry?" Louis asks, bringing the Omega in for a hug from behind him.

"Um?" Harry hesitates, giggling when Louis teases a hand under his armpit. "Okay, fine, you definitely never fart in your sleep."

Louis smirks. "Cheeky boy."

The ring of the doorbell echoes out throughout the apartment, making Harry go back to panicking again. "Shit, shit, okay, this was such a bad idea."

"Calm down and go get the door," Louis says fondly.

As it was Niall ended up getting on very well with the three older boys, and before they knew it they'd all had one too many drink and were lounged out in front of the TV with a film on.

"So how did you three meet?" Niall asks, taking another swig from the bottle of vodka.

"Me and Zayn used to be next door neighbours when we were kids, so we've always kinda been friends. And Liam was in our form in secondary school," Louis explains, Harry resting against him with his head on his chest as the alcohol hits him.

"You 'n Z were neigh- neighbours?" Harry hiccups, looking up at Louis before turning to Niall and making grabby hands for the vodka.

"Yeah we were. Okay, I think you've had enough of that for now," Louis says, taking the vodka out of Harry's hands and setting down on the floor away from him.

"Heyy, I was drinking that!" The Omega protests, haphazardly trying to climb over Louis.

Louis sits up and holds on to Harry by his biceps, pulling him back to the other side. "No, babe c'mon, let's just sit back down, yeah?"

Harry sighs in defeat, snuggling up to Louis in his lap instead. "I'm fine."

Everyone else in the room shares a look of amusement. "Sure, babes. You're fine."

Niall looks at the way Harry has his head tucked into Louis' neck, nose pressed up against his scent gland.

"Hey Haz, how come you're not staying with your sister if you're parents are abroad?" He asks, carefully studying both Louis and Harry's faces.

"Me and Gem don't talk anymore. After our mum-"

"Hey, shh, that's probably enough now, yeah?" Louis says softly, knowing Harry's far too intoxicated to know what he's actually saying.

"Oh. Okay. And my parents aren't abroad," Harry says sadly, burrowing his way back into Louis' neck.

"Then why did you say they were?" Niall asked, eyebrows furrowed.

This didn't make any sense.

He really liked Harry, of course he did, but there was always gaps in him, things that didn't quite add up.

"My parents divorced and then my dad left for good," Harry says, looking over to Niall, "and my mum-"

"Harry, look at me," Louis says, gaining the Omega's attention again, "In the morning, if you decide you still want to tell Niall you can, but I think you should let sober Harry decide that."

Harry frowns. "Why?"

"You told me you didn't want to tell him. I don't want you to regret it in the morning, okay?" Louis says softly, aware the rest of the room was now silent.

"Oh my god," Niall says suddenly. "You, you're controlling him. You're an abusive Alpha. Let go off him!"

Louis shuts his eyes and wills his Alpha to calm down. He couldn't start getting into an argument here, not now, not with Harry.

"I'm not abusing him, and I'm not his Alpha. Please don't make those kind of accusations again," he says slowly, grip tightening slightly on Harry.

Niall stands up, face red in anger. "You are! I knew something wasn't right when I first met you, Harry said you were shy and wouldn't wanna meet me but you ended up being absolutely fine. He just didn't want me to meet you because he was scared. You're sick!"

"Look, mate, I think you've probably just had too much to drink and are assuming things you don't know. Louis isn't abusive, okay?" Liam says, trying to get everyone to calm down.

"Of course you'd say that! You're an Alpha too, you're probably helping him! Harry lives here, doesn't he? You think I wouldn't notice how he's got his stuff all over this apartment? He's completely isolated being here with you! Harry! Harry look at me, you're not alone anymore," Niall says, slowly walking towards Harry and offering out a hand.

Harry frowns at the hand. "I'm not alone, I have Lou, and Z and Liam, and you! Why are you shouting?" 

"Fucking hell," Niall swears, turning back to Louis. "You've brainwashed him. I will never understand your kind-"

"My kind?" Louis laughs darkly, finally letting go of Harry and standing up, much to the Omega's displeasure. "My fucking kind? And what exactly is that, then?"

"Lou..." Liam warns.

"You're kind is exactly what you are. Alpha's. You-you take these omega's, like Harry, and you make them think that you're all they have. No wonder Harry has no friends at school, you've made him believe every fucking lie you've ever told him. I hate Alphas."

"Right, cause that's not sexist at all," Liam says, walking forward to the argument, Zayn staying behind him with Harry still on the floor by Louis. "You can't just say you hate all Alpha's, and you can't just decide exactly what kind of person Louis is based off of your messed up assumptions. Louis is the least abusive Alpha I've ever met. He let Harry have a free place here when his- when he didn't have another place to go because he's a nice guy and he cares about Harry."

"Oh right, and why did Harry have nowhere else to go exactly? Because I seem to remember you're 'nice guy' Louis not allowing Harry to tell me what happened to his mum. What exactly did happen to his mum?" Niall challenges, knowing he's cornered the two Alpha's.

"Harry's personal life is not mine or Louis' to share. Harry told us he didn't want you to know, and when he's sober in the morning he can decide then whether or not he actually wants to tell you. But don't bring this into the argument!" Liam shouts, officially making Harry panic.

He doesn't feel safe around two angry Alpha's, especially when Louis isn't looking at him like he normally does. Trying his hardest not to make a sound he creeps over to Zayn, who takes his hand and leads them to his own room.

"C'mon, we really don't need to be here to witness this," Zayn says, and even through his intoxicated and cloudy mind Harry can sense the slight fear in Zayn's voice and the way his hands are shaking.

When Zayn shuts the door the two Omega's let out a big sigh of relief, making sure to lock the door just in case. "Um, so, I don't know if you're gonna find this weird, but um I nest? And I kind of wanna get in my nest now, because it helps with my anxiety. You can, um, you can join me if you like."

Harry gapes a little at Zayn. "You're letting me into your nest?"

Zayn nods shyly. "I mean, you don't have to come if you don't want to, but I am and I just didn't want you to feel alone."

Nests were a huge deal for Omega's. And usually they would only allow their pack (meaning their children or their partner or close family members) in with them.

"Um, yes please," Harry says quietly, "I've never been in someone elses nest before though, so, sorry if I mess it up."

Zayn just smiles and takes Harry's hand again, leading him his walk in wardrobe which was only half full of Zayn's clothes, the rest of his just being his nest.

"Wow," Harry says as Zayn climbs in, carefully stepping in behind him, although not that gracefully considering the alcohol still running in his system.

Zayn giggles and pulls Harry down, tangling their legs together and pulling a blanket over the two of them.

The nest consisted of lots of blankets and cushions of Zayns, a few of Liam and Louis' t-shirts, and even some of Harry's own clothing. "Hey, I was looking all over for this!"

Zayn peers round to see what Harry was looking at. "Oh right, oops, sorry. I took it like a month after you moved in. My nest was feeling like it was missing something."

"I didn't realise you put non pack items in nests," Harry says honestly.

Zayn nods. "Some people just put in their mates items. Some just put in their own stuff. I just put in whatever makes me feel safe, so I've always something from Louis in here, cause we've been friends forever and he's stuck up for me for a lot. He's a little protective I think, and he's always made me feel safe. And then with Li, I guess it's the same thing. We've been friends since we were 11, so it just felt right. I thought that would be it until I met my mate, but I feel safe around you too, more than I thought I would after such a short time."

Harry feels a single tear slip down his face, the alcohol making him more emotional than he usually is. "I feel safe around you too. Thank you for bearing with me these last few months."

Zayn smiles and pulls Harry in for a hug, the two boys just enjoying the company of each other until there's a banging on Zayn's door, making him roll his eyes.

"Who is it?"

"Niall. I need to talk to Harry!"

Harry shrinks back from the door and shakes his head at Zayn. 

"He's not coming out," Zayn says instead, willing the beta to go away because it was making him feel stressed and it was making Harry feel stressed.

"Zayn open the door," Liam calls out.

Harry bolts up and grips on to Zayn's arm. "No! Please don't open the door!" he whispers.

Zayn looks up at the door and then back down to Harry. "What if I shut the door to the closet, and then I go and talk to them so you don't have to hear or see them?"

Harry looks trustingly into Zayn's eyes. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I've dealt with enough if Liam and Louis' arguments over the years. Just stay here," Zayn says, squeezing Harry's hand before getting out and shutting the door to the closet and heading for the door to the room.

He unlocks the door and steps out, glaring at the two Alpha's and beta with an unimpressed expression. "Yes?"

"Where's Harry?" Louis asks worriedly.

"See, you just have to know where he all the time. Can't stand not having that element of control over him," Niall accuses.

"I'm worried about him, is that such a fucking crime," Louis bites back.

"Alright! Enough! Jesus Christ. Harry is in my room, and until you all calm the hell down, I don't think he'll want to come out. Can I help you all with anything else?" Zayn asks sternly.

"Can I just talk to him? Z, you know I didn't mean to stress him out," Louis begs.

"You mean can you talk to him to manipulate him again-"

"Would you shut your fucking mouth-"

"Stop!" Zayn interrupts again. "Liam, can you deal with this?"

Liam looks helplessly at Zayn. "I've tried, it's impossible."

"Look, I don't exactly like being around angry Alpha's, okay? But I know Harry hates it more, so here I am, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd all just calm down before I have a major fucking breakdown. If not for me, for Harry." Zayn says, taking a deep breath before turning to Niall. "Look, Louis isn't abusive, or manipulative, or even Harry's Alpha. Harry was going through an extremely shit time and Louis let him stay here. Because if he didn't Harry could have very well ended up on the streets. I don't know what else to say to you to get you to understand that but that's the truth, and when Harry's sober of when you all calm the hell down he'll be able to tell you that himself."

"It's true," Harry's voice says quietly behind Zayn. 

Zayn turns around to look at Harry concerned. "Are you sure you want to talk to them?"

Harry nods and Zayn let's him out of the room. "Niall, I promise Louis isn't abusing me. I just, my mum was really sick and my sister was trying to believe like everything was okay so she spent all of her time at her boyfriends house and every now and again she'd send Louis over to see if I was okay. And then Louis ended up staying with me full time cause he realised Gemma wasn't."

Harry looks up to Louis before back to Niall. "And then, um, my mum didn't get better. She died just before Christmas, and because the house belonged to my dad he sold it to get more money. My sister didn't take my mum's death too well and she's been having therapy, but seeing her is hard for me. It was either move in with Louis here or go to an Omega shelter, and I think we all know what was the best option. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I don't have friends, and for once I wanted to be normal. I didn't think you'd wanna be friend with me if you knew what really happened."

No-one says anything for a while, and Harry's staring to think maybe he should have just stayed in Zayn's nest when Niall suddenly pulls Harry in for a tight hug. "I'm sorry, I wish you would have told me but I understand why you didn't. I would never judge you for any of that, Haz. I wanted to be friends with you because you're you, not for any other reason, yeah?"

Harry nods, returning Niall's hug. 

"And sorry for going all psycho on your boyfriend," he adds with a sheepish smile.

Harry groans. "Not my boyfriend."

"Hey, don't sound so upset!" Louis complains, wrapping his arms around Harry when the Omega goes towards him. "You okay now?"

Harry nods. "Niall said he's sorry."

Rather than accept the apology as Harry had done Louis just nods with a tight smile. "Okay."

"Um, yeah, I think I should probably just go anyways," Niall says awkwardly.

Harry frowns at him. "Don't, it's fine, Louis' just being grumpy. Stay. Plus, you are way too drunk to go anywhere at this time of night."

Niall rolled his eyes teasingly and ruffled Harry's hair, and just like that they were all okay again.

Maybe not Louis, but Niall would take what he could get.

-

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Harry was gonna freak out big fucking time.

His eyes scanned over the email several times just to make sure he was reading it correctly before he squealed and ran outside to the garden at the bottom of the apartment block.

"Louis!" He shouts, running up to the Alpha with a wide grin on his face. "Lou!"

Louis swears and throws the cigarette down on the floor, quickly stumping it out with his toe as Zayn laughs at him.

He had promised Harry he'd stop smoking, and honestly? He hadn't even tried. 

Before he knows it Harry is launching himself at him, just giving him enough time to brace himself and wrap his arms tightly around Harry's middle.

"Shit," Louis swears, stumbling just a little bit, "are you okay?"

Harry nods into Louis' neck before faltering and frowning a little. "Are you smoking?"

Louis looks up in a panic to Zayn. "Um, no, Z was just having one and I was chatting with him. I gave up, I told you."

Harry frowns and then turns to Zayn. "Put yours out too, please."

"What? Why? I've barely started it!" Zayn whines, fighting against Harry's grip as the younger Omega wins and throws it on the floor.

"Smoking is bad for you, Zayn. You shouldn't be doing it, you're going to-"

"Catch lung cancer and die, yeah I know, what a tragedy," Zayn says with a smirk, face falling when he sees Harry's hurt expression. "Shit, Harry I didn't mean to-, it was just a joke."

Harry just shrugged and looked at the floor. "Whatever, do what you want with your life, I'm just gonna go back up," he says vaguely, turning around and away from the two boys.

Zayn sends Louis a helpless look. "Harry, wait, please. I'm not gonna smoke any more of them, okay? It was a badly thought out joke, I shouldn't have said it. I know you're only looking out for us!"

Harry ignores him and keeps on walking. 

Louis groans. "Harry, wait! You seemed pretty excited when you came down, was there something you wanted to say?" He tries to say encouragingly, smiling when Harry turns around.

"Oh, right, yeah. I was just gonna say I got into Uni, that's all," Harry says quietly before going up the stairs and disappearing into the building.

"Shit, Louis I'm really sorry-"

"It's not your fault. Don't worry. Harry just, he has this weird anxiety over people dying, quite understandably I guess. But like, he's convinced someone else is gonna suddenly die and he won't be able to stop it happening. It's why I told him I'd stop smoking but it's too damn addictive," Louis says with a smile.

"He thinks we're suddenly gonna die from smoking?" Zayn asks incredulously.

"Well, yeah," Louis shrugs, "You can actually die from cigs, you know? And it puts us at a higher risk so it gives him something to worry about. I think it's like a control thing, he couldn't control his mum getting ill or dying so now he feels like he has to control everything else. I wish he'd let me take him to a therapist."

"Why won't he?"

"Cause he's Harry. He doesn't want to be a bother, he doesn't want to be problematic, he doesn't want anything to be wrong with him. He's too nice for his own good, and I never thought I'd say this but it's frustrating. I just want him to be happy," Louis whispers the last part, feeling a sudden influx of emotions come on as Zayn pulls him in for a hug. "Sorry."

"Shh, it's okay. You know you don't need to worry about that with me, Lou. If you wanna cry, then cry. Get it out of your system, bro. That's what I'm here for," Zayn says quietly.

It was true. Zayn was one of the only people who had properly seen Louis cry, and it didn't happen very often, but when it did Louis always felt better around Zayn. But right now, he needed to make things better with Harry.

-

Harry goes up the stairs two at a time, working himself up in his head so by the time he gets to their apartment he feels like he's about to explode, from anger or upset he's not too sure.

He flings the door open, flinching a little when it slams against the wall behind it.

"Woah, calm down," Liam jokes, turning round and frowning when he sees Harry's face. "Hey, you okay?"

"No, you're friends are assholes," Harry says, voice wavering with emotion and tears threatening to spill.

"Yeah that sounds like Louis and Zayn. Honestly, since you've been here it's been like living with two angels, you have no idea," Liam says with a little laugh. "You wanna talk about it?"

Harry walks round to the sofa where Liam is sitting in, hands tugging his curls harshly. "I just, I try and look out for them. I try and make sure they're okay and all they can do back is be complete arses."

Liam hesitates a little bit. He's not as close with Harry as Louis and Zayn are, and he's not really sure why, but he knows he cares about Harry and he doesn't want to see him upset over something like this.

"You can tell me, if you like. I'm promise not take sides with them just 'cause they're my friends," he offers, placing a gentle hand on Harry's back.

Harry shrugs. "You'll just think I'm being too uptight."

They both stay silent for a while.

"You know, I hate the word too. There's no such thing as being 'too' anything. You can't be too right or too wrong, therefore you can't be too of anything else. It's just a word society use to make us all feel like shit."

Harry looks up to the Alpha questioningly.

"I'm serious. If I sleep around I'm too much of a player but if I'm a virgin I'm too much of a prude. If I like talking to people I'm too confident but if I find it hard talking to people I'm too shy. You can't be too much of your personality, because that's just who you are. Its not a bad thing. It just means you're more of something than the average person. So go ahead, tell me what's bothering you. I'm not going to judge you. Or don't, but I promise you keeping things in to yourself is never a good idea," Liam says wisely.

Harry's kinda shocked by how wise Liam actually is. He'd always pegged him for a fairly traditional Alpha type person who maybe was a bit too shy and awkward for his own good. 

Clearly, he'd been completely wrong.

"I know it sounds silly, but like, ever since my mum died all I can think about is other people dying. It feels like one moment my mum was at home and perfectly fine and the next minute I'm standing there looking at her body in a coffin at her funeral. And I know there was time in-between that, she got ill, and then she saw a doctor, and then a few months later she moved into a hospital, and then a few months after that she died, but in my mind it isnt like that. I can barely remember the in-between time," Harry says with a shaky voice, looking up to Liam again with a single tear running down his face.

"I guess your mind see's you mum as your healthy and loving mother, and then nothing. It doesn't want to remember the pain of watching her deteriorate. Because then you have to remember that there was a time where she wasn't okay, and as you loved your mum you wanted her to be okay always," Liam says quietly, "does this have something to do with Zayn and Lou."

Harry looks back down at the floor. "I keep seeing them dying. Louis more so, but sometimes Zayn as well. I feel like I'm going to wake up to a phone call one day and someone's gonna tell me they were in a horrific accident and they didn't make it. Or Louis' gonna get a doctors call saying he has terminal cancer. Or my sister's gonna end up permanently living in a psych ward because she's finally lost any reminants of her sanity and mind. Its all I think about, in my dreams and in everyday life."

Liam feels terrible because he has quite a strong intuition as to where this might lead to.

"And then you caught them smoking just now?"

Harry nods as Liam feels his stomach drop. "Oh Harry."

Tears had started streaming down Harry's face as a small hiccup escaped him, sobs threatening to follow.

Liam can't stand to watch him break down and just pulls him in for a hug.

"Louis said he was going to give up and was stupid enough to believe him, and I wasn't even aware Zayn smoked too. And I'm mad, mad that he lied to me, mad that Zayn had the fucking audacity to joke that he 'might catch cancer' and 'what a tragedy that would be' and I'm mad that the universe chose my mum to die out of all people! It should have been me. I'm not here for any reason, I add no good or reason to these world but my mum did. She didn't deserve to fucking die. But most of all I'm mad that I can't just live my life like a normal person and be happy. My mum wouldn't have wanted this to happen to me or Gem, and I can't even do anything about it," Harry said, starting off angry and by the end just a measly whisper before breaking down into sobs and gripping Liam's biceps to try and ground himself. "Sorry."

Liam just held Harry tightly, letting the Omega get everything out of his system. "Don't apologize, Zayn can be a little be insensitive sometimes and Louis' just a bit of a dick at the best. They never should have said that, I'll talk to them if you want."

Harry shakes his head. "Can I just stay with you in your room this evening? I don't want to face either of them. And I can just sleep on the sofa. I'll talk to them both tomorrow."

"Sure. I'll tell them both to fuck off, yeah?"

Harry stifled a little giggle as he wipes away his tears. "Didn't think Liam swore," he teases.

"Yeah cause everyone thinks I'm too sensible," Liam quips back.

"No such thing as 'too' sensible according to you. Thats just who you are and if people don't like it they can shove it, right?" Harry teases again.

"Ah, I'm glad you're learning well, young padawan," Liam says proudly.

Harry thinks he's a bit of an idiot for not talking to Liam sooner.

-

"Can you just let me talk to him for five minutes?"

"I told you no. And don't try to talk to him when he goes to bed, okay?"

Harry could just about make out Louis' adidas joggers from behind Liams frame at the door.

"He shares a bed with me, it would be weird if I didn't say anything," Louis says, and Harry can literally hear Louis' eye roll that goes with it.

"He said he's gonna sleep on the sofa tonight, once you've gone to bed. So just don't bother him then. When he's ready to talk to you he will. Now go away, Louis," Liam says tiredly.

They'd been at this for a fair while now.

"Okay fine, but tell Harry he's not sleeping on the sofa. I'll sleep there, he can have the bed. If he has that much of a problem with it he can come talk to me about it," Louis says decidedly, turning away and leaving as Liam groans, shutting the door.

"Why are you friends with him?" Liam jokes, burying his face in his hands as Harry laughs loudly, sitting cross-legged on the floor with Liams guitar in his hands.

"You were friends with him first," he defends.

"Yeah, lord only knows why."

-

Harry tossed over again with a loud sigh. How does he fall asleep every night? How has he legitamtely lost the ability to find sleep? 

He's tried everything. Covers on, convers off, covers on with one leg poking out. He'd popped a window open, he'd tried every sleeping position there was known to man, he'd tried taking his boxers off and sleeping in pyjamas, and yet nothing. He was just restless, like something didn't feel quite right. He'd never felt so awake in his life.

Even when he normally couldn't fall asleep he still felt peaceful just lying there.

And he could feel guilt eating away at him thinking about how Louis must feel right now.

Fuck it.

Harry throws the covers off again and quietly pads out into the living room, clad in a small pair of black boxers.

Louis' eyes are shut, making Harry sigh. He didn't really wanna wake the boy up.

"Louis?" Harry whispers tentatively, holding in a breath as one of Louis' eyes opens.

The Alpha just holds the blanket up, silently offering a place to sleep on the tiny sofa with him. Harry does so, letting his back rest flush against Louis' chest as the Alpha winds a hand around his waist to ensure he doesn't fall off.

"I'm sorry."

Louis frowns, burying his face in-between Harry's shoulder blades as he wills himself to try and wake up a little more. He currently felt like he'd been run over by a truck. "Wha'dyou haf ta be sorry 'bout?" he slurs.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad. You've done so much for me in the past year," and holy shit, it was summer now and it really had been almost a year, "and I shouldn't tell what you can and can't do. If you wanna smoke you should. Its not my place to say."

Louis frowns further and pulls Harry back as he leans up so Harry's lying on his back and Louis peering over him in the dark. "Harry, you didn't do anything wrong. You shouldn't be apologizing. I should be, I'm the one whose in the wrong. I'm a dick, babe."

Harry shakes his head again, trying not to think about how the muscles in Louis' arms are felxing slightly from where he's put his weight on it next to Harry's head to support himself. "Please don't feel bad. I feel awful for making such a big scene. I need to, like, bake a cake or something for Liam. Turns out you're very good at picking great friends, I don't know why I was scared of Liam before. He just-"

"Hold up, you were scared of Liam? Payne? My best friend Liam? Liam 'I'm scare of spoons and therefore will eat ice cream with a fork' Payne? Seriously Haz?" Louis laughs, interupting Harry's nervous ramble.

Harry blushes. "I don't know, stoppp!" he whines as Louis continues glaring at him, "'s not my fault!" he says with a pout.

Louis' eyes train in on that pout, making Harry feel slightly self consciuos and bring his bottom lip into his mouth instead, which really, really, doesn't help Louis' problem at all.

"So you replacing me with Liam now, huh?" Louis jokes, but theres a forced strain in his voice as he brings his eyes back up to Harry's.

"No," Harry says quietly, feeling nervous under Louis' intense gaze, "could never replace you."

Louis shuts his eyes and holds in a groan. "God, Harry, you can't say shit like that."

Harry frowns adorably. "Why not?"

Louis lifts the thumb next to the Omega's face and strokes his cheek lightly. "Because. Might sound like you have a little crush on me or something," he says with a forced laugh.

Harry blushes harder, glad that its dark right now and he and Louis can only just about see each other. 

Fuck it. Harry's only going to live once, and as he's recently found at you never know what life has for you around the corner. Sure, you might regret doing something every once in a while, but being vulnerable is what makes you human.

"You know, my mum always told me that its easy to be angry the people we love because we know that they'll forgive us. Its why the only emotion thats the same as love is hate, because no other emotion is a strong as that. It's why couples who seperate or divorce end up hating each other," Harry says quietly, the tension in the air thick and heavy.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And earlier, it felt like I hated you. And it felt easy to be angry with you," Harry whispers, looking up into Louis' eyes.

Louis' breath hitches.

"I know you used to find me annoying and you've only let me in in the last year because, lets face it, I really didn't have anywhere left to go. But I'm going to say something now, and if you don't agree I'm gonna go back to the bedroom and fall asleep there and in the morning we're gonna act like I didn't say anything, and then in a few months I'm moving to university and you won't have to deal with me anymore. Okay?" Harry says, slightly desperately.

Please, please feel the same.

"Okay," Louis whispers.

"I like you. Like, more than a friend. I think I always have to be honest, but over the last year, almost, you've been my life line and those feelings have only grown as we've gotten closer to each other. I've never been in love before, but I've also never felt like this before," Harry says quietly, not breaking eye contact with Louis.

There's a few moments of silence as Louis' eyes seach Harry's before he slowly leans down and presses his lips to Harrys.

"You don't even know how happy I am right now," Louis whispers against Harrys lips, "I really like you too, Haz. If you hadn't already realized."

Harry tries to stop the smile but can't as he buries his face into Louis neck, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

For the first time in a really long time, he was happy.

And it felt great.

-

"Of fuck off, not again! I'm trying to eat my coco pops!"

"If you use a spoon we'll stop," Louis says with a smirk as Harry giggles.

"Can a man not get some breakfast in peace with you lot shagging all over the place?" Zayn questions as Louis flips them both off.

Harry was sitting on the kitchen counter with Louis stood between his legs, hands placed on his thighs.

They may have been kissing a few seconds ago.

Louis turns back to Harry with a fond look when the younger boy giggles again. "Cheeky."

Harry smiles shyly, swinging his legs a little bit.

It was the day of Harry going away to university, and it was safe to say everyone in the house was nervous.

(Liam had even gone through Harry's bags twice a four AM without anyone knowing just to make sure he'd packed everything.)

"Are you sure you've packed everything, baby?" Louis asks, pushing Harry's hair off of his face.

"Yeah," both Harry and Liam say at the same time, making everyone turn to look at Liam with a frown.

"Li, I'm pretty sure when Louis says baby he's only ever going to be refering to Harry," Zayn says with a laugh.

"Or Leonardo Di'Caprio. I'd tap that any day," Louis teases, yelping when Harry kicks out at him with a small glare.

"You better not," he pouts as Louis laughs, pressing a small kiss to Harry's temple.

"Just teasing, darling," he says quietly.

Then there's a knock on the door and it's Niall with his fifteen million bags and Liam's complaining they won't have enough space in the car, Zayn telling him he needs to stop panicking when Louis manages to squeeze the last bag in and shut the boot with a triumphant smile.

"Okay, I think we're all ready to go. Anyone need to grab anything else from inside?" Louis asks.

Harry gasps suddenly, spins around and bolts up the door, ignoring everyone's calls for him.

He'd completely forgotten in the panic of university packing one vital, vital, thing.

After he'd been in Zayn's nest he realised it made him feel very safe, and therefore he'd started making his own, in a secret cupboard he'd found behind Louis' bed.

It was so small Harry thinks he could only just about fit him and one other person if he was sitting on top of the other person and they squished themselves, but it was perfect for Harry.

And now he's forgotten all about it and was potentially abandoning it for the next few months.

Probably until Christmas.

"No, no, no, no, no," Harry mutters struggling to pull the bed back with both hands, jumping when he hears someone come in behind him.

"Hazza what are you doing, sweetheart? We have to go," Louis says softly.

"No! I need to, need to get the bed back!" Harry says hurriedly, still struggling to move the bed despite having done it several times before. "Ow!"

Louis swears and pulls Harry towards him as he cradles his wrist towards his chest from where he'd trapped it between the wall and the bed.

"Calm down for me, bub. You're okay," Louis says, pressing his lips to Harry's temple. "What's gotten you so worked up, babe."

"Need to pull the bed back," Harry whispers, pressing his face into Louis' shoulder.

The older boy pushes a smile down. "I gathered that. Why were you trying to pull it back?"

Harry shrinks in Louis' hold. No-one knows about his nest, he's not sure he wants that to change.

"Haz?"

"There's something behind it that I need to get," Harry says, voice muffled.

"Okay, let me get it then. What is it?" Louis says as he lets go of Harry and starts pulling the bed back himself.

"No!" Harry shrieks, eyes wide as he realises it's too late, Louis has seen the cupboard.

"Oh sick! I never knew there was a cupboard behind here! Imagine there's some really old artifact in there," Louis jokes, bending down towards it to open it.

Harry wishes his mouth would open and he'd make some kind of a noise to tell Louis to stop, but he's somehow frozen in fear.

"Babe there's loads of shit in here-"

Louis suddenly cuts himself off as he eyes spot a jumper in the back corner. "What the hell..." 

Harry freezes as Louis stands up holding his own jumper in his hand. "I've been looking all over for this jumper? Why would it be in there?"

"Um..." Harry helpfully supplies.

Louis' eyes narrow. "What exactly were you looking for back there?"

"Um..."

Louis frowns and then goes back to the cupboard, making Harry's omega very distressed.

That was his nest. His nest shouldn't be disrupted.

If that was anyone else Harry's sure his eyes would've flashed red and he would have attacked the person.

Louis starts throwing several items out of the door. "There's loads of our clothing in here!"

Harry can't help it when a distressed whimper escapes him, making Louis whip round to face him.

"Shit, baby what's wrong?" Louis asks, looking around the room to see what could be distressing his Omega.

Harry just dives passed Louis and starts putting all the items back in the cupboard, just as they were. 

"This was you?!" Louis exclaims, "Harry! I thought I was going crazy trying to find those missing clothes. I knew something dodgy was going on!"

Harry keeps moving things just so before climbing into the nest and glaring at Louis once he managed to fold his limbs into the tight place. "You messed it up," he grumbles, pulling a blanket up to him.

Louis' face softens as he realises what's happening.

Harry's nesting.

And it's fucking adorable.

He kneels down slowly until he's just in front of Harry. "This is your nest, yeah?"

Harry nods and nuzzles his head into Louis' hand. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize baby. You can have all my clothes if you want for your nest, yeah?"

Harry shakes his head, feeling distressed again. "Won't be here. Won't have my nest. It's the only thing that makes me feel safe when I'm by myself. I can't deal with it if you're not here and my nest isn't here."

"Sweetheart you'll be able to make another nest at uni won't you?" Louis asks softly.

Harry shakes his head again. "Not gonna be the same. I'm scared," he whispers.

Louis feels his heart clench. "You're going to be absolutely fine, baby. I can feel it, this is going to be best thing to ever happen to you. And you'll have Niall with you the whole time, he'll look after you."

"I want you to be there! You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Lou. I'm scared at what's gonna happen to me now I'm not with you, now I'm not living here. What if I go back to how I used to be."

"You'll always have a place here, Hazza. Always. If you go to university and you really struggle we can pull you out and you can just come back to live with us. That's absolutely fine. But I know you're going to love uni, baby. I can feel it," Louis says honestly, holding both of Harry's hands in his own.

"I wish my mum was here to see me do this," Harry whispers, turning to pull out one of his mums cardigans and bring it up to his nose. "It stopped smelling like her a while ago now but sometimes I can still imagine the smell. I think she'd be really proud of me for going to university."

Louis smiles softly. "I know she would be so proud of you, Hazza. She's watching you now with tears in her eyes, proud that her baby boy is moving on to bigger and better things."

Harry laughs wetly, not even realising he'd been crying until now. "Please, my mum would've been crying weeks before I moved out. It's probably a good thing she isn't here now."

Louis laughed along with him, feeling so much love and fondness in his heart.

The fact that Harry was able to talk to calmly and naturally about his mum shows how far he'd come along. Sure, he still thought about her everyday, but he'd accepted the fact she was gone, and took pride in the fact that he'd had the privilege to know her for almost 18 years and love her for just as long.

"Do you want to take some of the things in here for another nest at uni? Or you can pick some fresh things from my closet if you like. I promise not to touch your nest whilst your gone," Louis says, combing his hands through Harry's hair.

"Y-you, um, you can come in, if you like. Like now, when I'm here too. Not when I'm not here," Harry says shyly, fiddling with the items in his hands so as to avoid eye contact with Louis.

"Okay, budge up then," Louis says, willing himself not to cry.

Omega's letting Alpha's into their nest was a huge deal.

Louis manages to burrow his way in without messing too many things around, pulling Harry into his lap as his back rests against one wall, feet on the other, Harry straddling him.

"You're so beautiful," Louis whispers, like its some kind of secret and he doesn't tell Harry every day.

Harry blushes as he stares into Louis' eyes. He's never felt so at peace with himself. Never felt so warm and safe with another person.

"I love you," he whispers, for the first time.

Louis' face breaks out into a wide grin. "I love you too, baby. I love you so fucking much."

Harry snorts despite feeling like his heart might burst out of his heart. "Romantic."

"Sorry, but I really do. I love you Harry Styles, and I'm gonna miss you so much but I know you're going to absolutely smash Uni and couldn't be prouder of you. I love you," Louis says honestly, holding Harry's waist tightly.

"I love you too, Louis Tomlinson. You better call me every single day. I want to sigh when I see your number come up on my phone because I'm tired of you calling me cause it's the 20th time that day," Harry giggles.

Louis leans forward a little and presses a small kiss to Harry's neck. "You'll never get tired of me calling you, baby boy."

Harry's suddenly so overwhelmed with love and fondness and adoration for the Alpha beneath him, and he knows in his heart that he will never love someone as much as Louis Tomlinson.

"Bond with me," Harry whispers, forehead leaning against Louis'.

"What?!" Louis blurts out, shocked by surprise.

"Bond with me. Please, Louis, bond with me. I love you so much and I know I'll never find someone whose as perfect for me as you. I don't wanna date anyone else, I just want you. It's always been you," Harry begs, eyes frantically searching Louis'.

"I-I thought we were gonna wait until you graduated. Incase long distance didn't work for us, and so you're older and sure of the decision you're making," Louis says panicked, trying to thing of something logical to say.

Harry nods. "We did say that, but I don't care about any of that. We're planning for a future that isn't certain or guaranteed, Louis. If I've learnt anything in the last year it's that you should take every opportunity as they come, and live your life in the moment. I don't want to wait, Louis, I want to bond with you now. In my nest. Before I go away. I want it more than anything."

Louis tilts Harry's head back to kiss him properly before leaving back again. "I love you so much, darling. Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?"

"There's now doubt in my mind. Is it what you want?"

"You have no idea how badly I want to mark you up, baby boy," Louis says, Harry letting out a small whimper beneath him, "but its gonna hurt. Are you sure you're ready?"

Harry nods, bearing his neck to Louis. 

"Fuck," he groans, leaving in to scent the Omega before grazing his teeth against his neck, "you smell divine, baby."

Harry whimpers again. "Please, Alpha. Bond me."

-

Liam looks like he's about to have kittens when the pair finally walk back out of the building and towards the car, holding a bundle of clothes with them as they do.

"Fucking finally, what the hell took you both so long?" He exclaims.

"U-Um-"

"Some jumpers and other random items of clothing, really?" Liam questions, focused on the clothing in Harry's hands and not the huge bite mark on his neck.

"You fucking bonded?!" Zayn blurts out, slapping his hands over his mouth as Louis looks proud and smug and Harry looks nervous but excited.

Liam's eyes snap up to his neck, lifting Harry's chin up to get better access. "Holy shit. Oh my god, holy fuck-"

"Li stop swearing," Harry says fondly.

"Sorry, sorry. It looks sore, are you okay?" Liam says concerned.

"Never better," Harry says lovingly as he looks up to Louis. 

"Yeah I'm fine thanks for asking," Louis teases, laughing when Liam just throws his arms around him in a hug.

Niall and Zayn rush up to Harry.

"Oh my god, you actually bonded. Shit, Liam's right it does look sore," Niall winces.

"Well duh, Louis just bit into his neck. If he bit into yours I'm sure it wouldn't look too good," Zayn quips back.

"Well, good for Niall because he's not going to be biting him there anytime soon," Harry grumbles.

"How was it?" Zayn asked, mesmerised.

"It was so weird, cause like obviously it really hurt, but it was still the best experience ever. And now I feel so connected with Louis too, I didn't that was possible but I feel like there's a part of him constantly with me," Harry says shyly.

"Wow. I'm so happy for you," Zayn says, pulling Harry in for a hug as Niall wraps his arms around them all too.

"It felt kinda weird giving it to Louis though. Cause my Omega was unhappy that I was hurting him and I was scared that I would do it wrong or something but as soon as I but into him it just feel like the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle, cause I bit him last," Harry continues explaining, feeling so loved and happy.

"Alright! We're running behind schedule by 37 minutes courtesy of the little shit, Louis Tomlinson, so we need to get on the road as traffic is building up on the M1, everyone in the car now please," Liam orders officially, shoving everyone into the car with Niall upfront, Liam himself driving and the other three in the back, Harry in the middle.

"Never change, Lima, never change," Zayn says fondly as they drive off.

"If I did I would have absolutely no faith that you'd all be able to stay alive for 30 minutes," Liam says back.

"Heyyyyyyy!" Harry protests, leaning his head down to lean on Louis as he feels his heavy eyes shut.

"Okay fine, if Harry was there you might last a night and because he'd be able to cook for you all, and then he'd do something stupid like try to set alight a jar of coconut oil with string in the middle because 'we're out of candles' and accidentally start a small fire," Liam says, Niall cackling any turning round in his seat to look at his best friend. 

"Please tell me that actually happened!" He begs.

Harry opens an eye and smirks at Niall. "Shut up. I thought I was being resourceful. But we're all still here, aren't we?"

"Yeah cause Liam had the sensible idea to put the fire blanket that Liam had purchased when we started renting at the flat to put it out," Liam says smugly.

"Yeah, where's your fire blanket incase that happens again whilst you're at uni, Haz?" Louis teases, leaning his head down on top of Harry's.

"Didn't get one-"

"In the black bag labeled essentials-"

Harry glares up at Liam. 

"You packed him a fire blanket?!" Niall exclaims.

"Without me knowing?!" Harry adds.

"Like I said, you wouldn't make it five minutes without me," Liam teases.

"Oh my god I'm never going to make friends!" Harry whines, leaning further on to Louis as the whole car bar Louis bursts out laughing.

He really does love all of his friends.

-

"Okay, so, I guess this is it?"

Harry throws himself at Louis as Louis wraps his arms tightly around Harry's small waist.

"I love you, baby."

Harry starts shaking and Louis knows he's crying again.

This happened quite a few times in the last few weeks.

"Don't go!"

"I'll always be on the other side of a phone call, darling. I can get here in an hour and a half if I need to. Just let me know," Louis says, holding Harry as tightly as he can.

They stay like that for a little while before Harry pulls back. "I love you."

Louis smiles and wipes Harry's tears with a thumb. "I love you too, baby boy. My beautiful Omega."

Harry smiles bashfully. "I'm so happy we decided to bond. It feels less scary knowing you're here," he says, holding a hand to his neck.

Louis smiles, hand coming up to his own bite mark. "I've never experienced anything like it. It's amazing."

Zayn and Liam come into the room then. "Hey, guys, we just thought we'd come to say buy to Haz too."

Harry throws himself at Zayn, burying his face into his neck. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Z. You're the first male Omega I'd ever met beside myself and you made me feel less alone. You're like an older brother. Thank you."

Zayn holds Harry tightly. "I'm so proud of his far you've come, Haz. You're like a little brother to me, and if anyone gives you any shit you let me know and I'll come and fuck them up, yeah?"

Harry laughs, choking a little on his tears. "Okay, big guy. I'm sure they'll be quaking in their shoes."

Zayn just smirks and flicks Harry's nipple in retaliation.

Liam then wraps his arms around Harry. "You're going to be absolutely fine, Haz. You've got plenty of food to last you for a month, but you'll need to go shopping for fresh items in about a week. There's a spare bedding set for when you need to wash you sheets. You'll want to do that once a week and don't use a super hot wash or it'll shrink them. Be careful about tumble dryers too, I'd avoid them apart from things like towels. And-"

"Okay, I think you're scaring him a bit, Li," Louis says kindly with a small laugh.

"Sorry. Just remember to be yourself, Hazza. And everyone will love you," Liam says honestly.

Harry nods into Liam's shoulder, feeling more tears run down his face. "Thank you for everything as well, Liam. I don't know what I'm gonna do without your help and your wise words. I'll miss you."

"Well, young padawan, there comes a time when a master needs to let his students go, so they can grow and flourish by themselves. That time, young one, has come," Liam says with an old man's voice, making Harry giggle.

"You two are such geeks," Zayn teases.

Liam lets Harry go then and the youngest boy swears he sees tears in his eyes.

"I'll miss both of you! I'll message you everyday, I promise. I'll be back before you know it. Thank you for everything you've both done for me," Harry says again, laughing when they both wrap Harry up in another hug, squeezing tightly one last time.

"We'll see you before you know it, Hazza. We'll give you two some along time now. Don't take too long, Lou, the parkings about to run out," Zayn says, squeezing Harry's arm one last time before they head out.

Harry watches them walk until they turn a corner out of sight. He looks up to Louis with wide eyes.

"Oh babe, you'll seem them again soon," Louis says, cradling Harry's face with one hand as the omega nods.

"I know. Just feels weird. Will you make sure they know how much I care for them and that I really am grateful for them letting me live with you this year?" Harry asks quietly as Louis smiles fondly.

"Pretty sure they're more grateful you came to live with us, but sure, baby. Give us one last kiss?"

Harry presses his lips to Louis like it's a life line, letting the Alpha dominate the kiss and slip his tongue inside his mouth.

Louis lets his hands fall to the swell of Harry's bum, remembering where they are and not going any further as he leans away, Harry following Louis forward automatically and pulling back when he realises with an embarrassed look.

"Sorry."

"Shh, dont apologize. Right then, I really have to go now. Let me just check your mark once more," Louis asks, studying the bite as Harry shows him the spot.

The Alpha licks over it, knowing it will help it to heal quicker. "Let me know if shows any signs of infections or anything like that, yeah? You should be fine."

Harry nods. "Can I lick yours?"

Louis nods with a smile, tilting his head and letting Harry have at it.

The Omega finishes with a small kiss to the mark, and another small kiss to the Alphas un-expecting lips.

"I love you."

"I love you."

Louis lifts their already linked pinkies and kisses his thumb, staring into Harry's eyes intensely the entire time.

"Call me when you get home?" Harry asks sweetly.

"Of course, darling. Now don't stay all holed up in here tonight, baby. I'll expect Niall will go out, I want you to go out with him. Don't wallow, enjoy yourself," Louis pleads.

"Okay, I'll try," Harry says sadly.

"I couldn't ask for more. I love you, and I'll see you in a few weeks okay?"

Harry nods and Louis presses a kiss to Harry's forehead. "See you later."

"Bye," Harry whispers.

It takes everything in Louis to walk away and not look back. He knows if he does he won't make it home tonight.

As soon as Louis' gone round the corner Harry shuts the door to his dorm, turning round to see Niall un-packing approximately 50 packets of condoms into his bed side table draw.

Harry smiles as he wipes his tears. "Ni, you know in each packet there's 20 condoms right?"

Niall looks up to Harry with a serious face. "Shit. You're right. We're gonna need to get to a drug store ASAP."

Harry bursts out laughing and bounds over to Niall, hugging him tightly from behind on the floor.

"You're crazy and I love you," he says honestly, laughing as Niall wriggles in his grip, never one for much affection.

"At least I'm being safe, you should be very proud of me," Niall grumbles, pulling out bottle after bottle of lube.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Harry says under his breath, walking over to his side of the bed into his new nest that he'd created with Louis. 

It was just down the side of his bed next to the wall, but it would do with a lack of anywhere else to go. 

Louis had already threatened to cut all of Niall's balls off he tried to go in there.

He settles down with on of Louis' jumpers pulled up to his nose and picture of his mum in a golden frame clutched tightly to his chest.

I love you 

And for the first time, the message was going to both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I copy and pasted this from wattpad and it was the worst decision I've ever made, I hate how big the gaps are between each paragraph and the italics didn't copy and I'm too tired to go through 20k words for a few italics here and there right now.
> 
> Sorry this was kinda sad, hope you liked it none the less.
> 
> Go to the first work of this series to give a prompt xx


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